Catherine is a self-taught artist. As a young girl, she would dream up projects that only a creative young mind could imagine— handmade flip-flops and gearshifts adorned with sparkling gems for her little pink bicycle named “Sweet Thunder.” She was the envy of her block when she wore a pair of jeans embellished with leather and rhinestones.

Catherine started painting furniture during her teen years. Her first piece—an old bed frame—was made over with swirls and polka dots in bright purples, greens, and yellows.
Catherine quickly discovered there isn’t a surface that couldn’t be painted.

While she has always enjoyed priming and painting, embellishing and sewing, Catherine’s formal education was anything but creative. Catherine graduated from the University of Georgia with a degree in social work in the early 1900s. After just a few years in the field, her creative side beckoned, and she answered the call. In 1995, she and her sisters, Liz Carter and Michelle Garner, opened The Purple Cow, a hip retail store where they sold furniture and home décor accessories, many of them hand painted by the three sisters.

Color plays a prominent role in Catherine’s life. Simply said, color makes her happy. Her style is funky and eclectic, and she lends a sense of whimsy to each of her art pieces. Catherine specializes in makeovers; paint is her muse as she colors the world one piece at a time.

Catherine resides in Marrietta, Georgia.