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April 28, 2025

Catherine completed her MFA in painting at Bennington and has spent more than 25 years capturing the beauty of the natural world. She continues to explore the connections between birds and art through her travels, including as a senior leader at . We’re excited to hear more about her time at 51�������� and how her experience here has shaped her career. 

You have pursued an interesting career that combines art, travel, and nature. Tell us about what you do and what inspired you to merge your passion for birds with your artwork?

In 2010, I packed up my studio and apartment in New York City, left almost everything in a storage unit, and hit the road. I had planned to drive across the country once, to look at different species of sparrows and how they differed in plumage and environment as the geology and topography changed across the U.S. I wanted to document everything through drawing and writing and then figure out a place to live and continue studying that was slightly less expensive than New York City. (My plan was an obviously poor financial choice.) I honestly only had the nerve to pursue something like this because Bennington had given me the opportunity to study intensively across disciplines while pursuing an MFA in painting. I had just begun to merge my studio approaches and sketchbooks with studies in botany and ecology during that time.

By the end of 2011, I had driven solo across the country 10 times and had picked up sponsorship, a solo exhibit, and a contract to do some illustrations for a field guide. It was at that point I realized I was heading in a much different direction than I had imagined when I graduated.

Your bird illustrations have been featured in prominent publications like Nature and The Warbler Guide. What was the process like working on these projects, and how did you approach translating the natural world into your art?

When contacted by clients, I always have to let them know that I am primarily a fine artist, and while capable of producing scientific illustrations, I prefer to set my own aesthetic parameters. I am not all that good at being an illustrator for hire. Those projects were a dream in that they were highly innovative, with new approaches and groundbreaking new research. Mental stimulation is essential for me when thinking about how visuals might work into someone else’s project! 

With those projects, they gave me their work and hopes and then let me have almost completely free reign. As an aside, those projects and others also let me take the time to teach myself how to use creative software in unexpected ways. From learning 3D modeling and vector software, to working digitally in a way that complements analog work, I now had another foundation to work from, even if my own work veers towards media on paper.

Which of your accomplishments stands out as most meaningful to you, and why?

In 2017, in the predawn light of the Himalayan foothills of the village of Pangti, in Nagaland, India, I witnessed one of the wonders of animal migration when a hundred thousand Amur Falcons silently rose into the air. They were staging for their incredible migration that runs from upper Asia all the way down through India, across the Indian Ocean to Africa, and then all the way down to southern Africa. I spent four days there documenting and sketching the experience, including the falcons, the people and their culture, and the landscape. It’s a cool story of conservation and indigenous cultural success.

Looking back, how did you first decide to get your MFA in painting at Bennington? Did your time here provide what you had hoped it would?

My experience at Bennington was mixed as to results, as I imagine almost every MFA experience is, but overall it provided exactly what I was looking for. I had chosen the program for its flexibility and freedom of curriculum and because I genuinely loved the range of artistic approaches and media that the fine arts faculty offered. I wanted to immerse myself in a varied environment with the hopes that I could emerge with something unique. I was already teaching painting at RISD at the time, where I was hired before I had earned an MFA, and Bennington gave me a neat opportunity to develop further while still teaching.

What specific experiences or mentors at Bennington had a lasting impact on your work?

Studying botany and ecology with Dr. Kerry Woods was incredible, and the summer opportunities to assist with field research were invaluable. I butted heads terrifically with Carol Diehl, a faculty member there at the time, but in ensuing life twists, she ended up being a fierce advocate for my work in ways I would never have imagined. 

Michael H. Shamberg’s experimental film nights, pub nights with Lucy Greeley, and saying hello to Mary Oliver each morning as we walked our dogs around the campus all stand out in my memory. These incredible experiences somehow melded beautifully as I catalogued the bird species from my studio or studied the distribution of native vs. non-native beetles on the campus grounds and forest.

Looking ahead, what upcoming projects or professional goals are you most excited about, and what direction do you see your work taking in the future?

After so many years of continuous travels and events, I have finally decided to take an entire year (or ten!) to develop a book project, most likely in the form of a graphic novel. I can’t say any more than that, except that I am excited about it.

What advice would you offer to current Bennington students who are looking to merge their interests in the way you have?

Every time I teach, I am tempted to say “Do what I say, not what I do,” because my approach to my career has involved a high level of risk taking and has been definitively off the beaten path. But that is the beauty of it, as well. 

I would say to students at Bennington that unexpected opportunities and failures can and do lead to interesting and innovative avenues and that keeping an open mind and a sharp eye out for unusual intersections is key.