"I'm Cathy Jane, and I adore New Zealand's wildlife. My art is made entirely of sculpted thread, which is a delicate form of freehand machine embroidery and hand work. I build layers of tiny stitches into unique forms- drawing my inspiration from the canvas that is New Zealand with all of my work based on found objects and bird species endemic to our country. I feel my special ability comes from being able to ‘see’ the intricate detail of our natural world and transferring those details into a stitched representation – this gives my work its own uniqueness.  I always aim to open eyes to intrigue and wonder, causing the viewer to look twice.  I don’t just sketch and stitch my work. Each work evolves over weeks and months through experimentation.

Trekking through New Zealand’s vast native forests, off-shore islands, mountain passes, and free-diving amongst some of the world’s most beautiful marine reserves gives me endless ideas for my sculptural art."

Cathy has also been selected by the Judges as one of two only highly commended Regional Artists for the STUFF Gold Award on Mar 8 2024 during the Christchurch Art Show at the wonderful Te Pae Event Centre – for her stunning textile work of art ‘Large Mahoe Leaf Skeleton.