Cat Gemmill is a freelance Artist working in Glasgow. Having previously studied Design for Textiles in Edinburgh, Cat then went onto gain her (BA)Honours from the School of Textiles in the Scottish Borders. After which, she followed her passion for Painting and Pyrography and at present is working to build her Artist Resume. 

From left to right, ‘Dazzle’ and ‘Ellipsis’

Hey Cat! How did your artistic journey start?
I have always loved being creative and losing myself in my work. As a child, my Papa would joke that the paper mills would never be out of business with how much I loved to draw! My family have always been supportive of this passion and I think that is a big part of Art becoming my favoured subject through school and me practically living in the Art department.

I didn’t know what avenue I wanted to go down after school and so I decided on Textiles as I could keep my options open. I went on to gain my Honours Degree from the School of Textiles in the Scottish Borders. I specialised in traditional screen printing. But my favourite part of any project was the drawing and painting my designs at the beginning, so I began painting more seriously after graduating. And now I am proud to be building my Artist’s Resume.

How did you arrive at the theme of your exhibition?
Art has always been a big part of my life, but during the pandemic, like many, I had more time to be creative again and I had a newfound respect for the nature surrounding me, how it influenced my work and how I felt. This really struck me and so I wanted to capture what we can gain from spending time in nature, losing track of time, and brightening our mindsets. So began ‘Happiness Blooms from Within’. A collection of works looking at different subjects, using bold colour palettes to bring joy and pleasure to the viewer.

Fro left to right, ‘Amiability’ and ‘Bouquet’

How do you overcome creative blocks?
I have struggled with creative blocks more often in the past couple of years, but I have found that I work best when I have a deadline to meet. There are several little things that help me during a typical working week. I absolutely love music when I paint and sometimes, I just need to pop my headphones on and work on some expressive grounds as I almost find them therapeutic to create. I do find a change of scene to be a helpful remedy too, whether its going for a walk and getting that dose of nature or finding a little nook in a coffee shop and brainstorming for a while.

What do you do to keep motivated and interested in your work?
I think part of the reason that this collection is quite varied with the chosen subjects is somewhat mirroring my character. I like to chop and change to keep things interesting. So I really do only paint things that capture my attention and bring me happiness. Sometimes I don’t come back to paintings for weeks at a time, until the notion takes me. I enjoy taking photographs and later tying random bits that I have captured into my paintings. I find scrolling through the images I have taken to be a good way to motivate me. I also think it is important to always carry a little notebook to jot down ideas as they come to mind or just have a doodle on the go. It means that I have a book of notes for me to look over when I need a boost.  

Alongside my work, I practice other mediums and crafts to keep me on my toes. I make personalised Pyrography art pieces on a commission basis, so I enjoy getting to make something different each time. Watercolours, embroidery, knitting, beadwork and illustration are all other artistic areas that I like to experiment with to keep my ideas fresh.

Behind the scenes shots from Cat’s Studio

Can you elaborate on the significance or symbolism of the chosen title of your exhibition?
‘Happiness Blooms from within’ seemed like the most fitting title to my collection of work. I wanted it to be focused on nature and the impact of being outside or having flowers in your home can have on your mood. How simple pleasures bring so much pleasure to our everyday lives. 

Although my style is an obvious tie between all my works, no matter the colour palette or subject matter. I have repeated certain motifs throughout this collection that all have positive symbolism. Those positive messages are all linked to that belief in the optimism we gain from spending time in nature. 

This quote, from an unknown source, is thought provoking and it had continually inspired my work throughout this collection “From the clouds brings the rain, which brings the flowers”.

Find out more about Cat’s work on Instagram. ‘Happiness Blooms from Within’ at Six Foot Gallery until Thursday 21st November.