Interview with Catherine Fontenot

Time to meet our resident scientific illustrator, Catherine Fontenot!  Using her perfected technique as a tool, Catherine beautifully tells stories through the anatomy of creatures small and large.  Her attention to detail is astounding and unique, as if the subjects of her renderings were telling her their secrets themselves.  Catherine’s drawings are accurate, but still carry a personality of their own.  Perhaps because of the way these creatures are clearly so lovingly created, Catherine’s openness and heart carry into her work, and brings out a little of the animal lover in all of us.

“Cougar”

Q: Okay Catherine, first thing’s first: you capture the anatomy of animals so beautifully, and yet, these renderings still have a personality to them that you can call your own. How did you get to this perfect balance? Was it a conscious effort, or did your work just evolve this way?

A: Well, I’m pretty sure that I was just born an animal lover and never grew out of it. I have always had a fascination and desire to learn about them: anatomy, behavior, and character. It was definitely not a conscious effort; if anything, my illustrative interpretation of animals stems purely from my observations and feelings toward the subject. In choosing to focus on natural elements, I hope to remind viewers of one’s innate connection to the earth, its creatures, and to each other. However, when working on a specifically scientific illustration (like the cougar) I try to stay more objective than expressive. Yet the emotion from my hand still can’t be totally disguised.

“Save the Tigers”

Q: Who or what gives you the greatest inspiration?

A: Deriving much inspiration from the Golden Age illustrators, like Arthur Rackham, Edmund Dulac, and John Bauer, my unique style has developed into something of its own. Not only do these artists astound me in their ornamentation with delicate detail and fine drawing abilities, but also in their sensitivities to translate emotion. There is a timeless elegance about the mystical illustrations from the 19^th century that spurs my imagination. During the onset of the Industrial Revolution, these artists were innovators in their own time, reconnecting an audience to the enchanting qualities of nature. I also like to keep a kind of mood board in front of my desk while I work, filled with visually inspiring things.

Catherine’s inspiration wall just above her desk

Q: Explain your process, from start to finish.

A: My creative process begins by making word lists of my initial thoughts or responses for a certain project. By intuitively mapping out my ideas, I obtain a concept truer to my own instincts. After selecting a handful of key words or descriptions I move on to sketching thumbnails. Then, I refine sketches with variations based on the chosen thumbnail often accompanied with lots of research. I prefer to use my original sketch as the basic drawing for my final, to preserve its originality and freshness. Going over my lightly drawn image, I use ballpoint pen in a way that imitates the textures and forms of the figures and surfaces. Inspired by nature and the Golden Age illustrators from the late 19th century, I tend to use limited color palettes. For color techniques, I either use traditional watercolor or work digitally.

Catherine’s sketches: Various figure studies, “Goult Windmill,” and “Bonnieux Afar”

Q: Do you have any particular habits when working on a piece?

A: First, I have to clean up the area I’m about to work in: keep everything all nice and neat. I like to be comfortable, have nice lighting, maybe a cup of coffee, and have my supplies laid out, so I don’t have to break my concentration when I start to work. Then, I love to listen to music that fits my mood while I’m working. Usually pretty loud, too … (sometimes I think I was also meant to be a musician)

“Orange Haiku”

Q: What do you want to achieve with your illustration career?

A: Materialistically, it is much less clear for me than when I was in school. Although I believe competitions, shows, and participation in illustration events or communities is very important, I am feeling less concerned with winning awards and more concerned with sharing my passion and work. I feel there are so many gifts that nature has planted to enrich our existence, and they tend to be under-appreciated unless a little time is taken to admire such precious things. I hope that my art can help free viewers’ censored psyches, allowing them to revisit the inherent human qualities that they otherwise would ignore.

“Roussillon Collie”

Q: Did you have a period of time in your life that you see as instrumental in your development of style or viewpoint?

A: I lived in Saudi Arabia for 4 and a half years (from about the age of 4 to 8-years-old), and I really believe my childhood being spent overseas has made a huge influence on my perceptions and beliefs, my aesthetics, and my creativity. During that time, I attended an international school and had the opportunity to travel the world with my family. When I was 21, I also had an 8-week trip with SCAD’s study abroad program in Lacoste located in the Provence region of France. It was truly a priceless experience as a student, and even more so as an artist. Exploration and its experiences, I believe, are essential to anyone’s personal growth.

Q: How long does it take you to complete a work?

A: It depends on the size of the piece and the complexity. It’s difficult to give a particular time frame, but I would say between 1 and 2 days without interruption.

“Fromage de Lune”

Q: What superhero power would you have and why?

A: To be faster then any animal, have unlimited endurance, and to be immune to injury!!! Well, that goes both for running and for creating artwork, haha!

“Red Tail Hawk”

Q: Tell us five words you would use to describe yourself, without choosing any similar to “artistic,” or “creative.”

A: Hmmm, tough question. I would say intuitive, patient, hard-working, compassionate, and open-minded.

“Sombra”

Catherine’s work can be found at www.cfillustrations.com.  Be sure to check it out!