About the artist

Catherine Heaps creates uniquely sculptured rocking horses of papier-mâché. These finely crafted original works of art, blending quality, functionality and aesthetics, are eco-friendly heirlooms of the future.

Catherine Heaps of Providence Art Studio in North Canterbury began her artistic career as painter, illustrator and portrait sketcher, working from home. She trained and worked as a professional graphic artist for a number of years.

Over the last decade she has explored surrealism, abstraction and semi relief work experimenting with a variety of mediums. Therefore it was a natural and gradual evolution towards producing pure sculptural forms using modeling clay and latterly papier-mâché.

The progression into utilizing papier-mâché arose from the desire to create larger, lighter and stronger sculptural works. From this evolved the rocking horses, functional art chairs and footstools.

Catherine’s other lifelong passion are her horses (she owns several and teaches horse riding). Therefore horses have been a recurring theme throughout her artistic endeavours. Catherine sought to integrate both loves by blending her equestrian knowledge with artistic skill, seeking to create an Object d’Art that was a functional as aesthetically pleasing. As a result Providence Art Horses were born.

Each unique horse is lovingly crafted with real manes and tails. Horses can be freestanding or mounted onto rockers or wheels if desired. Catherine can recreate your beloved family horse/pony into replica rocking horse for posterity, even including its real mane and tail if you so desire. Papier-mâché is an ancient and time-honoured craft from a bygone era that is currently undergoing a modern revival due to the eco friendly and recycled nature of the medium. Catherine can attest to the advantage of this material.

Catherine invites you to visit and view the quality work exhibited in her on-line gallery and home studio, situated on a tranquil and pleasant lifestyle block, where she lives with her family.

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Catherine Heaps