Charlotte Cathey Holder

By Ken Hall

Ever since she first held a crayon as a child growing up in Memphis, Tenn., Charlotte Cathey Holder has loved art. She remembers drawing her own paper dolls. "Mine were animals, not surprisingly," Holder said with a laugh. About 95 percent of the art she creates today is animal art.

"I remember drawing a leopard one time and then drawing clothes for him," she recalled. "My mother probably thought that was odd, but she always encouraged me in whatever I did. Later on, when I began to paint seriously, she was my biggest fan."

Today, Charlotte has legions of fans. "Ever since I can remember, I have loved animals," she said. "Growing up, we always had dogs and cats and birds. All animals fascinate me. The sheer variety of shapes and colors and textures is awesome. They have definite personalities that I try to show in their facial expressions."

Her works often carry playful, humorous titles. A painting of a cardboard box filled with Labrador Retriever pups is titled "Box of Chocolates"; another, showing the reflection of a cat looking hungrily into a koi pond is called "Sushi." Even her website - www.cathARTicdesigns.com - is a play on words.

A checkerboard pattern is prevalent in many of Holder's paintings. It is usually in the background - sometimes bold, sometimes subtle. "Often I continue the pattern into the animals themselves," she said.

She's not sure why squares started showing up in her work, but she suspects it can be traced to her years spent as a designer for needlework magazines, such as "Just CrossStitch," "Stitch World" and "McCall's Quilting." "The designs were worked in grids," Holder explained, adding, "Life is kind of like a checkerboard. We are all on different squares, yet we are all connected."

Charlotte remembers getting her first set of paints - one of those old sets that came in the black tin box with ovals of primary colored paint - as a Christmas present from her brother. She was about six.

"What a marvelous thing that started for me," Holder said. "Even today, the primary colors are my favorites." In high school, her art teacher, Ann Howard, encouraged her and got her to enter some work in local art contests. It garnered her an assortment of ribbons and awards.

When it came time for college, Charlotte already had her sights set on a career in art. "I think my Dad would have preferred that I study something more practical," she said, "but he also thought I had some talent and gave his nod of approval."

Holder ended up getting degrees in art from William Woods University in Missouri and the University of Memphis. She also did graduate work at the Memphis Academy of Art, the University of Alabama in Huntsville and the University of Alabama in Birmingham.
Alabama must have appealed to her. That's where she lives today, in Saginaw, just outside Birmingham, with her husband, Mike, a home inspector. The couple have two grown children, Francie and Gene. Both are married and have given Charlotte and Mike six grandchildren.

"As humans, I believe we are designed to be joyful, to live life, to sing, to dance," Holder said. "I can't carry a tune, but I sing anyway and break into a happy dance at least once a day. I am so blessed to be able to do what I love and to love what I do."
This positive attitude toward life spills over into her philosophy of art. "I put down on canvas what I feel about the world," she said. "It is a gift I don't take for granted. I try never to take myself too seriously and I keep my sense of fun easily accessible. A sense of humor is unique to humans. It is a gift I like to share."

Her outlook is almost childlike. For most of us, the things we saw as a child - filled with wonder and endless possibilities - fade with age. But Holder embraces the world of a child as her brush takes her to new lands, reclaiming that magic and spontaneity of youth.

The artwork she produces is innocent and unexpected. She allows herself the freedom to create images in an original and unique manner. Not surprisingly, her free-spirited paintings appeal to children - children of all ages. Anything can happen in her work, and usually does.

"The mind of a child is so free and imaginative," Holder said. "Every day is an adventure, a magic carpet ride. I try to convey this world of possibilities as a child sees it - perpetual summer, reachable stars, a world with no prejudice, no limits."

Holder once toiled as a freelance artist, fittingly enough, for Disney Productions and Warner Brothers, while working at the Symbol of Excellence publishing company.
She has had one-woman art shows at the University of Memphis, Huntsville Museum of Art, the Meridian Museum of Art in Meridian, Miss., the Birmingham Arts Alliance, the Southern Research Institute, the Little Rock Art Museum in Little Rock, Ark., and Art Works in Asheville, N.C.

Charlotte is also well known for her needlepoint designs. Many have appeared in the aforementioned needlework magazines. Some of her designs are licensed by Maggie Co. of San Francisco as needlepoint canvases that are carried by needlepoint shops in the U.S., and Europe. Her work is also licensed by Activewear, based in Georgia, for sale in resort and zoo gift shops.

To see more of Charlotte Cathey Holder's work, or to make a purchase, you may visit her online at www.cathARTicdesigns.com. Her phone number is (205) 663-3960. Her e-mail address is cartdsgn@hiwaay.net.

Boston Tea Party

Lab Results

Giraffic Park

On Golden Pond

Sushi

Key Westie

Jack in the Box

Sitting Ducks