Offered at The Dog and Pony Show Gallery, 68 - 70 Market St., Asheville. Animal inspiration, these originals are on Aquabord panel and don’t need glass. Stop by soon!
“Beaver Skull, Winter Light” Pigment on Aquabord, custom framed.
“Sun Stripes” Pigment on Aquabord, custom framed.
“Red and Blue” Pigment on Aquabord, custom framed.
“Autumn Peak”, oil on panel, 9 X 12” ready to hang. Custom burlwood frame.
Hilltop Farm in Hot Springs was a working farm in the late 1800’s. Imagine attempting to farm that steep and rocky of an angle. This was painted in the fall of 2025, with riotous colors and chilling temps. This original oil in 9 X 12” in a custom burlwood frame and is ready to hang:
https://www.catherinetwomey.com/available/autumn-peak-9-x-12-oil-on-panel-burlwood-frame
So grateful for the sale of “Savannah Companions” by The Dog and Pony Show Gallery in Asheville. I so love that a collector found this gentle scene spoke to them. Please visit https://www.dogandponyshow.com/collections/catherine-twomey-contemporary-frescos for additional contemporary fresco pieces.
“Savannah Companions”, 12 X 12” contemporary fresco on Aquabord. Original Contemporary Fresco from painting references photographed in Kruger National Park, South Africa. The setting sun highlighted the contrast of the zebra’s stripes against the golden hour light. The herd was relaxed but watchful and able to run at a moment’s notice. This painting is archivally varnished and requires no glass.
I am a Featured Artist! Hope you can make it!
“Bull Elephant Walking”, 12 X 12”, Upmarket Gallery/Dog and Pony Show, 70 Market St., Asheville
https://www.instagram.com/reel/DQmLrouEUqe/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link&igsh=MzRlODBiNWFlZA==
Friday, November 7 is First Friday in Asheville, NC - hope you can make it to my gallery at Upmarket, 70 Market St., Asheville. The following piece, along with other wonderful artists, are on offer there:
“African Jackrabbit”, 12 X 12” Contemporary Fresco.
My work is now represented by UpMarket Gallery, 68 - 70 Market St., Asheville, NC. Thank you Margaret! Looking forward to meeting you there.
Thanks to the collector from Fort Washington, PA for their purchase of "Buck Mountain Vineyards." An early morning mist near the vineyards of the Blue Ridge. For additional prints: https://designerprints.com/featured/buck-mountain-vineyards-no2-catherine-twomey.html
A mountain inspired grouping of transparent pigments on Aquabord. Just the start of the series as I follow where it takes me.
I am pleased to announce a new series of Pigments on Aquabord paintings, recently completed. This is just a preview image of two zebras I encountered in Kruger National Park at sunset. The prime viewing time for African animals is very early in the morning, or sunset. There was such a mystery to watching them end their day in companionship and light. This piece is 12 X 12” on 2” Aquabord and is varnished and ready to hang. It will be released soon.
Thanks much to Woolworth Walk Gallery at 25 Haywood St. in downtown Asheville for the sale of this original oil, "Soul Of The Deer." The work is 9 X 12", infused with copper. Thrilled! #painting #painting #oil #nature #twomey #catherinetwomey #flow #contemporary #contemporaryart #award #awardwinning #internationalart #galleryart, #woolworthwalk #contemporarygallery #collector #collectors #artcommission #deerpainting #deerskull #deeranatomy #animalportrait #ashevilleartist
If first impressions are important, then call me impressed. Recently I was asked by KraftGeek to try out and review their “Inspire Easel”, which is offered for tabletop display, floor display and plein air painting. It was shipped as scheduled and securely packaged in a custom box. Upon opening, I discovered a beautifully illustrated four step vellum instruction sheet as well as a compact, more detailed User Manual. After quickly absorbing these, I jumped right to setup.
Inspire Easel High Quality Packaging and Instructions
The Inspire Easel looks and feels upscale. It’s sleek and well articulated, with telescoping legs that can be calibrated for level surfaces and customized for rough, uneven places. The Inspire is a sophisticated looking display and tabletop easel offered in Oak, Black, and White finishes. I’m primarily a plein air painter, however, so that is where I put the easel to the test.
I previously had a very expensive ($800+) plein air easel with telescoping legs that continually stuck, so I was skeptical about their ease of use on the Inspire right from the start. This easel, however, came through like a champ. In just a few minutes I had the Inspire up and balanced, ready to go. It felt solid, sturdy and easily fits into my roll-around supply cart as well as a supply bag.
Tabletop Position For The Inspire Easel by KraftGeek
The image above shows two inset pegs on the bottom of the legs that fold down easily and hold canvases under 1.5” thickness. One drawback to the peg holders is that your panel has to be larger than 11.25” in width, which is rather large for plein air painting considering you have about two hours before the light changes and need to cover a canvas by then.
A 9 X 12” or larger canvas could be used, as long as the top was clipped to the vertical easel bar for stability. KraftGeek might consider adding more pegs for smaller paintings. At the top of the easel there is an expanding holder with a tension grip. There’s even a ¾-inch threaded mount at the very top - a thoughtful and useful addition for phones, cameras, lights, etc. Canvases up to 26” in height fit the easel.
The image below shows the Inspire easel used as a tabletop display. It elegantly displays the artwork of the Blue Ridge Mountains near Chimney Rock, NC. that was recently shown competitively.
“Chimney Rock Last Light”, Pigment on Aquabord, by Catherine Twomey
Inspire Easel Plein Air At High Vista, Mills River, NC
Once out in the field, I set up in a flash. The amount of time saved on setup was well worth the cost of the easel alone. There’s a handy hook on the bottom back to hang a weighty bag for windy days, though for this light breeze morning the easel was wonderfully stable without a bag.
The above image, however, shows what I consider to be the biggest drawback to the Inspire easel when used for plein air painting. There’s no supply tray! I had to precariously balance my palette, solvent and mediums around me on various chairs. I would be first in line to buy a lightweight tray accessory attachment to hold my supplies if offered by KraftGeek.
Plein Air Painting Using The Inspire Easel
As painting got underway, there was no holding back. I put all my usual slapdash strength into the brushwork without incident. The easel held up well, with no slippage or drops. As the morning moved along, the sun began to burn off the fog and a slight breeze came up. Out came my umbrella attachment (not included with the Inspire Easel), a weighty mechanism that would be a real test for the easel’s legs, but was critical for painting.
Umbrella Attached To Inspire Easel
Umbrella Attachment (not included) - Front Leg
The umbrella attachment is as heavy as it looks. It easily clamped on to the Inspire’s front leg and held the umbrella without an issue. That’s when the excitement began, however! I suddenly noticed the painting falling away from me. I discovered a first-time user’s error - I hadn’t completely locked in the Inspire’s back leg-locking mechanism, which is just a very simple twist to make at the bottom of each leg. Fortunately I caught the easel and painting in time, tightened everything up as it should be, and continued. I’ve concluded that the additional weight of the umbrella holder revealed my lax leg locking skills! My advice is to take extra care to lock in the legs at the start of every session to guarantee disaster aversion.
Artist At Work, Inspire Easel
In conclusion, and I do not write this lightly: I love the KraftGeek Inspire Easel. I’ve used a lot of easels over the years, but this was the easiest to set up, the most beautifully designed and for a small person like me - lightweight and compact. Put an attachment tray on it, and it would completely fit the needs of plein air painters.
If you’re interested in purchasing the KraftGeek Inspire Easel, follow the links below and be certain to apply the discount code. Happy painting!
Discount Code: Easel123
KraftGeek Online Store: https://bit.ly/4mvRS8f
Amazon US: https://amzn.to/4flUcLj
“Resilient Tar Heel Ram”, 22 X 30”, Contemporary Fresco on Aquabord
Very pleased that juror Carolyn Edlund has chosen "Resilient Tar Heel Ram" for inclusion in the "Tar Heel Art Exhibition" at UpMarket Gallery in Asheville. The Opening Reception is Friday, 5/1 from 5:00 - 7:00 pm. Contemporary fresco, 22 X 30" on Aquabord. Thanks much, Carolyn for helping Asheville celebrate our resiliency and spirit.
Cropped preview, "Resilient Tar Heel Ram" - because once again Asheville is under siege, this time by wildfires. We will persevere. Watercolor pigment fresco on Ampersand Aquabord, 22 X 30" for an upcoming exhibition. #ampersandaquabord #hurricanehelene #ashevillewildfires #tarheelram #contemporaryfresco #watercolorpainting
"Forest Deer Soul" is a 9 X 12" framed oil from a skull I recently acquired. Such a mystery behind every creature I paint. Available soon at Woolworth Walk in Asheville.
Thanks to the collector from Fairfax, VA! "Earlysville General Store" inspired my nostalgic side. For additional prints, please visit: https://fineartamerica.com/featured/2-earlysville-general-store-no-2-catherine-twomey.html
A tranquil scene depicts a waterfall cascading between rocky cliffs into a serene pool, with sunlight illuminating the rocks and water. The interplay of soft colors creates a peaceful and harmonious atmosphere. This is at the top of the Tahquitz Canyon at Aqua Caliente in Palm Springs. Painted plain air.
This is a contemporary fresco on Aquabord. It does not need glass framing; it is varnished.
https://www.catherinetwomey.com/available/tahquitz-canyon-falls-morning-9-x-12-contemporary-fresco
“Rendezvous” 18 X 18” oil, gold and copper on archival panel.
“Rendezvous” will be featured from February 13 - May 5, 2025 at the Asheville Art Museum in the “Asheville Strong” exhibition. The Opening Reception will be Thursday, 2/13 - hope to see you there!
To purchase: https://www.catherinetwomey.com/available/redezvous-oil-18-x-18-on-panel-framed
Happy to announce that historic Woolworth Walk, 25 Haywood Ave. in downtown Asheville, is now featuring some of my work. Hope you can make it by!
This is the view in front of Many Glaciers Lodge in Glacier National Park, from last July. I was struck by the sunset over the jagged mountains, and the hidden glaciers on the slope. This is what’s known as a Contemporary Fresco. It is pigment on clay Aquabord, and is varnished and does not need framing under glass. It is 9 X 12”.