Cathy RESSLER – DEDICATED ARTISTS of southwest florida inc

Featured Artist
Cathy RESSLER

While actually born in Philadelphia, it was a short move across the Delaware River during elementary school that put me in Willingboro, New Jersey to grow up. My “art-gene” probably came from a paternal aunt artist that I never got an opportunity to know. Orphaned early on and having to grow up fast ‘mothering’ younger siblings, there was never time for art. Early life was kind of a blur but I do remember always having a love of beautiful images, colors, flowers and anything shiny. Married life got an early start, too, along with the responsibilities of single parenthood. The appreciation of the beauty of nature and color stuck through it all.

Fast forward to my late 30s with recurring allergist appointments and art entered my life. A nearby arts-and-crafts shop pulled me in. Sitting on that shop floor in a back corner after each appointment was my weekly happy place! Surrounding myself with painting books became my routine. After meeting an amazing artist Sandy Ryan while in the shop, a brush was never far from my hand. Sandy got her start in oils but was an acrylic artist by the time I took weekly classes with her. Time on task led to some art fluency and traveling to paint with Big Brush teachers around the country helped improve techniques. I also joined as many painting groups as I could travel to for the next 20 years and started stepping up to teach.

I loved learning everything around painting and have been painting for some 30 years now. After retiring from my ‘career’ and moving to Florida, I joined DASF in 2019. Now I serve on the Board helping with Programs …and love the position! Collecting art, my own and that of others, and hosting small painting seminars at home has made for a wonderful retirement. Learning is lifelong so I continue to travel to art conventions learning new skills and giving existing ones a ‘tune-up’. The art community keeps us all connected.