In 1975, I became seriously interested in photography, winning many ribbons in various local and statewide events. In September 1993, living in Milford, Connecticut, I was introduced to painting in oil and was also a member of the National League of American Pen Women. As a member of the Milford Ct. Fine Arts Council, I served 5 years on their Board of Directors. In 2003, I founded the Firehouse Art Gallery at Walnut Beach, Milford, Connecticut. To this day, it is a flourishing annex to the Milford Arts Council and is visited by hundreds each week. My paintings are exhibited throughout the United States and Europe, and I am represented in several galleries, restaurants, and inns. My line of greeting cards carries photographic images of my paintings and photographs. These high-quality cards fit a 5” x7” frame. In 2008, I moved to Manteo, Roanoke Island, North Carolina, and in September 2009, I opened a gallery, “Washed Ashore”, in Downtown Manteo, which featured my paintings, prints, photography, and cards. Over the years, I have specialized in painting lighthouses, landscapes, and seascapes. Most recently, animal portraits, people portraits, and still life. I try to make the feeling of my subject come through in my work. Private commissions, also a specialty, include house, boat, and plane portraits, pet portraits, gardens, and most recently formal “portraits”. I also have discovered that in some cases, faces seem to "appear" in my paintings.... in landscapes, clouds, and even plain backgrounds. These paintings I classify as "Spiritual"._ Catherine Hamill
