CATHERINE O’DONNELL

YOU’VE HAD A LATE BEGINNING IN THE ART WORLD, but your practice has a maturity and strength that outreaches this. What led you to begin practising?

I worked as a lab technician for many years. When my last child went to school I just felt that I wanted to do something for me. Art was a natural choice because I have always loved it. So I went to TAFE with no ambitions, I just decided I wanted to go there and learn how to draw. My husband has been my biggest supporter, and when I went to TAFE I had some fantastic teachers who really encouraged me to go to university. I enjoyed the National Art School so much and had a lot of support along the way.

Suburbia has been a constant thread throughout your practice. What feeds this interest?

It stems from my upbringing. I was brought up in Sydney’s western suburbs in Green Valley. It was the first housing estate in NSW, built