Baker Artist Portfolios

BRIEF ARTIST BIO

            Cathy Leaycraft was born in New York City and raised mostly in the Philadelphia area.

         Her mother frequently took her to art galleries as she was growing up. Her paternal grandmother was an artist in Woodstock, NY, where Ms. Leaycraft visited in the summer.

            She spent many hours in the Philadelphia Art Museum where her favorite artists were surrealists like Dali and artistic vanguards like Duchamp.

         In the 70’s Leaycraft discovered her medium, photography. She began experimenting with Color Xerox copy machines and eventually became noted for her complex collage images constructed in Photoshop.

            It was in 1981 that Ms. Leaycraft first met and studied with photographer Duane Michals. He opened her eyes to the use of photography as a unique form of personal artistic expression.

         Ms. Leaycraft received her first solo exhibition in1982 at the Plastic Image Gallery in Boston. In 1991 she was invited to do a one person show at The Center for Photography at Woodstock, New York.

            Her artistic carrier has evolved in phases; color Xerox collage, collage using Photoshop, and reflected glass sphere images. Her current work involves the use of encaustic, photography, and occasionally, pastel.

            Ms. Leaycraft’s work is held in many public and private  collections including the Baltimore Museum of Art, the Metropolitan Museum, and the MOMA. She has exhibited widely and received many grants and awards including the Maryland State Arts Council Individual Artist Award.