Catherine read English Literature at Bristol University and taught for many years in Cambridge. During which time she also pursued and developed her love for the decorative arts, selling her own silk paintings and embroideries.
On meeting Simon Rich she began to apply this to ceramics, her particular interest being in lustre work and enamels. The pieces are painted using real gold and platinum, and fired three times. Catherine's inspiration derives in part from the work of Gustav Klimt, but also from the symbols and motifs of the ancient world and the orient. She is interested in mystical, esoteric and spiritual traditions, and some of the symbols she uses in her work reflect this.
The spiral holds a particular fascination for her as it has many resonances in nature and layers of meaning. The chief of which is that in many cultures it is a pictorial representation of man's quest foe enlightenment.
Catherine lives and works with her husband Simon Rich the potter, in South Pembrokeshire. She has two children.
