Around The World: Cathy Hookey
This is an extension of Mitch Cohen’s art column, Art Valet, from The Leader Newspaper. Read the column here. The theme was “Around the World.” Mitch invited artists from his mailing list to tell him their stories and where they are from.
Cathy Hookey
http://www.cathyhookey.com/grownupwork
How long have you been in the U.S./Houston?
So I’m from various parts of southern England; I was born in Hereford, raised in north London but spent my adult life in a small town in Cornwall. I’ve been in Houston since December 2016, so I’m still kinda new!
What kind of artist are you?
I graduated with an illustration degree in 2011, then worked freelance in kid’s illustration as well as on contract to BBC making art and props for a children’s art show. I quit and got rid of anything I couldn’t fit in a backpack to travel in 2013, and for the next few years I lived in and moved around Catalonia, Italy, Switzerland, and England couch-surfing, volunteering and drawing. During my time in Italy I fell for a pretty American who was staying at the hostel I was working at…then a few years later I moved to Houston to be with that American permanently!
My career currently is both as an illustrator and an artist, so I take commissions, write and illustrate comics and picture books as well produce paintings, drawings and small-run seriographs for galleries.
In my pictures, I use a lot of esoteric and natural symbolism, especially plants from England and symbolism from native Celtic witchcraft and folk stories. Most of my work is inspired by my inner experience, working through my ‘Self’ and past trauma…making a picture is sort of an attempt to explore or transform something inside me, so my work is very personal and quite varied! I also hope that by sharing the personal work I make that other people with similar temperaments might find something useful in them too. I like to juxtapose the esoteric symbolism and folky themes with bright colours and modern comic style, sort of folk magic for millennials. I work in Photoshop, mixed-media, laser-cut wood and acrylic, pen and ink as well as making screen and block prints.
Has living in the states, changed your art? How?
Living in the States has definitely changed my work…I think for me it was an expansion – suddenly I’m surrounded by so many people who are so different from what I’m used to, and Houston itself is predictably very different to living in a small town by the sea in rural England! Everything about being here has expanded both my repertoire of influences and my ideas of what I could possibly do with my artwork. Before moving to Houston I struggled to figure out where I ‘fit’ in the worlds of illustration and art, but since being here I’ve been able to expand what I imagine the boundaries are between the two, that is, I don’t see a boundary anymore, and I love working with a marriage of the two. I think letting go of the distinction between art and illustration has made my work more experimental and unique, and far more enjoyable to do!
I also run artist critique and support groups online because I love to interact with and support other artists, and I have a regular blog where I tackle sort of general philosophical and spiritual issues through the lens of art.
What would you recommend a visitor to your country try doing/seeing or tasting in your country?
I suppose if I were to recommend a visitor something to do in England it would be…to see more than just London! Cornwall is my most recommended place, especially if you love history or beautiful landscapes. Cornwall has a number of Neolithic sites, as well as ruins and castles (Tintagel, the ‘birthplace of King Arthur,’ is stunning!) a number of ‘magical’ Celtic sites, as well as beaches, cliffs and headlands, forests and little quaint towns by the sea, and great surf and music spots.
If you really want to experience an out of the way, old-school English experience, I know an alehouse for a pint on the quay in a little town that is perfect! “The ‘Front” in Falmouth (in southern Cornwall) won best ale house and best cider pub of the year in 2018 from the local ‘Campaign for Real Ale’ awards, and comes personally recommended by me, who drinks and knows a fair bit about English ale!
