Ghostly

Ghostly by Cat Rose Lavender - MA Fine Art Digital, Central Saint Martins

My name is Catherine Rose Lavender, I am a multidisciplinary artist. I work with themes of druidic earth devotion, and symbolic communication of emotion and ethics.  I struggle with ADHD and sensory overload issues, my art is a therapeutic catharsis of my human experience. I love to sing, and I love stories. I create characters as part of this process.

Ghostly began in a caravan. I was soothed by the sound of heavy rain beginning to beat down on the tin roof, alone, dog sitting for the weekend at my mother’s cottage in rural Yorkshire. I was taking a few days to myself, and it was here that I embarked on a period or meditation and reflection.

If we can sit in a state of love and gentle perception, we can uncover the most beautiful truths of our inner sanctum.  Having recently lost, what I considered at the time to be the most epic love of my life, I needed a moment alone to find myself again, separate from the intertwined soul I had become.  I find that being social reflects a version of ourselves shaped by the wants and desires of those we interact with.  We cannot help but become reactionary beings.

It had been so long since I had sat in silence. With no emotional obligations to anyone but myself and the sweet pooch beside me, guitar in hand, I began to play.

The sensory harmony of the rain, the love of my dog and the vibrations of throat and guitar, led to a state of flow that I so often pursue but rarely achieve. What came of that moment felt personally so profound. It had been a true catharsis, and I felt my heart stitched together, still seeping, but structurally intact.

I kept the recording from that night for years, too shy to perform or share anything remotely as personal as that moment. 4 years later, I found my way back to it again. observing the journey from that moment till now. A feeling arose, one of metamorphosis. I had become the moth emerging under moonlight, in a new skin to the one who had loved so deeply. From this, a story began. A character had formed. after visiting a crystal grotto on my birthday, it all fell into place. Caves have always given me a deep sense of comfort, like being hugged by the earth, there we find the rawest form of shelter.

I would be so honoured if you took the time to engage with my work, each individual connection to a viewer is deeply meaningful to me. i appreciate your time, interpretation and related experiences.

Find Catherine on Instagram as @ny.mphie , with the current character she is embodying. Her music is on all streaming platforms as NYMPH.mp3

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