It’s been less than three months since Laura Catherwood co-headlined the Vertical Gallery group show ‘The Scenic Route’ opposite Joseph Renda Jr. and Jerome Tiunayan. But in that time, the painter and illustrator published her first book, the career retrospective ‘Gestures from the Field,’ and relocated from her native Chicago to bucolic Rochester, N.Y. Last but not least, she’s one of 13 artists exhibiting with Vertical at Aqua Art Miami 2025. 

Laura updates us on her new life and previews her newest work in the latest installment of our Artist Spotlight series. 

Vertical Gallery: Tell us about the work you’re showing at Aqua Art Miami 2025. 

Laura Catherwood: It’s essentially a direct follow-up to my ‘Scenic Route’ body of work. There are eight pieces: two 20-inch by 30-inch oil paintings, and six 11-inch by 14-inch drafting film drawings. ‘The Scenic Route’ also combined larger oil paintings and drafting film drawings, but that collection was about setting out on an adventure; it was the end of part one. This is the start of part two. The animals are a little deeper in, and it’s like “How do we find our way around here?”

All the drawings are titled “They're Always With You,” and each one has its own [parenthetical] title, which comes from whatever activity is happening in the drawings. All the pieces feature a main animal, and then in the background, there are blue animals alongside them. I wanted those blue animals to feel kind of ghostly and separate physically, so I added another sheet of drafting film. Instead of three layers [of drafting film], there are now five, because each sheet adds a front and a back, which gives each piece so much more depth. 

The inspiration behind “They're Always With You” is our Chicago community. My husband and I extracted ourselves from that community to come to Rochester, but all those people are still with us. We're still supporting what they're doing, and their efforts still affect us. There’s togetherness despite the distance. The title also ties back to grief, the ongoing theme of my work. People you care about may be physically gone, but they're always there with you. 

Are the creatures in these new paintings and drawings native to upstate New York?

Yes. The animals are also native to the Midwest, which connects this body of work to ‘The Scenic Route’ — the fox is a key character in both. But there are different birds and plants involved. One of the large paintings in the last show was a great blue heron, and instead of just using that bird again, I chose to use the great white egret, which is also found in Florida, so I thought the Aqua people would like it, too.

What are your initial impressions of your new environment?

It's an autumn wonderland. The foliage has just been insane. We live in a historic district, and sometimes I think I might be in a coma, because this is exactly the neighborhood environment that my brain would dream up for me. It's so beautiful. Everyone is so nice.

A big move like this drudges up a lot of big feelings, especially after living someplace for so long. It makes you intensely aware of what's most important in life. This moment is also very special because it's almost like the quarantine times, where no one's expecting me to be anywhere at any given moment. I have complete freedom over how I spend each day. It's like entering a new zone in a video game.

It’s difficult being away from the Chicago art community, though. With Instagram, I can still see what everyone's up to, but the thing with art is that it's always more amazing in person. It stings to miss out on [Chicago gallery] openings, but that’s one reason why I’m so grateful to go to Aqua: I’ll get to see some of my friends’ work there. And there are new people to get to know here in Rochester. I already found an artist I love.

Will viewers recognize Rochester’s impact on the work you’re exhibiting in Miami?

I don't think it’s a stark difference. It's still very much me and what I do. I'm still the same person — I’m just moving forward.


Don’t miss the opportunity to add work by Laura Catherwood (@laura.catherwood) to your collection! Email sales@verticalgallery.com to receive our Aqua Art Miami 2025 collector preview.