New series Rewilding

This series, motivated by a continuing interest in geology, is about restoration of abandoned mining and quarry industries.

I recently walked through a nature reserve, in the hills of the Mendips in SW. England, the ghost site of a post-industrial lead smelting mining operation, a toxic & historic relic of the industrial revolution.
 These scarred, toxic landscapes—once defined by heavy extraction—are now slowly being overtaken by resilient native plant life. Through layered compositions, I explore how vegetation intervenes in these spaces, creating unexpected pockets of biodiversity and new ecological narratives. My work investigates this slow transformation, supportive of  conservation over the contemporary fixation on innovation.

Using remnants of industrial ruin as both material and metaphor to reflect on cycles of damage, recovery, and the quiet force of rewilding, these paintings and other works serve as contemplations on how nature reclaims and redefines spaces and places once shaped by exploitation.

Exhibition curated by Sandra Higgins in Bath Somerset, England

A bursdt of colour and Spring season energy in this show March 6-April 5th 2025

The Edge Knows The Rock Is

….is the title of this exhibition, a collaborative between artist Brooke Holve and myself. The works become a visual conversation born out of a shared experience of an art residency in Eastern Iceland. We stayed 1 month at Seydisfjordur, a small town facing the Norwegian Sea.

Showing ar Hammerfriar Gallery Healdsburg, California,

Feb 1st -April 30 2025

THE EDGE KNOWS

THE ROCK IS

Catherine: Working with Brooke is a constant source of inspiration. Her playful approach

to language, meticulous craftsmanship, and patience complement my own creative

process in unique and exciting ways.

Our collaboration is deeply rooted in shared experiences at artist residencies in

Seydisfjordur, Eastern Iceland on an edge of a fjord, facing the confluence of the North

Atlantic and Arctic Oceans; the other in Ballinskellig, southwest Ireland, on a windswept

peninsula jutting out on the edges of the Atlantic. During month-long residencies in each

location, we immersed ourselves in these wild, untamed environments, engaging with and

witnessing the powerful geological forces that shape the region.

Brooke: I met Catherine during a residency at Lucid Arts in Inverness, California. Although

we participated in the solo residency a year apart, we first encountered each other’s work

at a residency event. I was immediately drawn to her experimental approach, involving a

wide variety of materials and processes—frozen inks, erratic splashes, random

arrangements—a freedom that was captivating. She played with natural processes,

constantly asking “What if?” and embracing the uncertainty of where those questions

might lead. Her process resonated deeply with my own approach to making—one of

exploration and discovery into the unknown.

Our experiences at these residencies sparked many conversations throughout our

collaboration. Conversations between us, between our work and about the actively

changing landscapes around us. We observed and discussed the natural processes that

shape a region, the unfinished nature of landscapes, and our unique practices of making,

unmaking, remaking. Above all, we focused on process over immutable form. This

exhibition reflects the essence of these ongoing conversations.

We’re both fascinated by edges, rocks, and geology—though we’re not entirely sure why.

There’s something profoundly captivating about the earth’s ancient, primal forces. This

geological phenomena with all of its unexpected upheavals, serves as a gateway to a

deeper connection and engagement with the earth itself..

Catherine Richardson | Brooke Holve