Fur and Feathers: California Creatures

The Dolphin Gallery will present Fur and Feathers: California Creatures, a stunning exhibition of watercolor paintings by acclaimed artist Catharine “Catrinka” Randall. Featuring native California fauna, the exhibit opens on Saturday, September 6, from 1–3 p.m. and runs through September 28.

Randall, a member of the Santa Fe Society of Artists, is widely recognized for her expressive wildlife paintings, particularly her depictions of birds and animals. A self-taught artist, she first pursued painting alongside her career as an equestrienne, having owned and competed with an off-the-track thoroughbred in the Breeders’ Cup.

Before devoting herself fully to art, Randall was an award-winning professor of French at Columbia University, Fordham University, and Dartmouth College. She is also an accomplished author of ten books, including A Heart Lost in Wonder: The Life and Times of Gerard Manley Hopkins.

Her artwork is displayed in galleries across the country, including the Terra Cotta Wine Bistro in Santa Fe, Two Old Crows Gallery in Pagosa Springs, and Matt Brown Fine Art Gallery in Lyme, New Hampshire. Randall has won numerous awards for her exhibitions and has showcased work at the Audubon Societies of Vermont and Rhode Island. Her prize-winning painting of cave swallows is part of the permanent collection at the Carlsbad Museum in New Mexico.

After relocating to Gualala last summer with her husband and Golden Retriever, Tigger, Randall began painting local California birds and mammals, as well as occasional migratory species. Her work has garnered collectors on both the East and West coasts and has been featured in Audubon Society exhibitions, as well as galleries across Vermont, New Hampshire, Santa Fe, Colorado, and now California.

Visitors to Fur and Feathers: California Creatures will encounter a striking collection of wildlife portraits, including familiar species such as bluebirds, kestrels, a black-capped night heron, a stilt, a mallard, and an owl, as well as unexpected guests like a foxes and bobcats. Each piece tells a story of California’s diverse habitats and the intricate interactions of its wildlife.

Randall looks forward to sharing the stories behind her paintings with visitors. Art lovers and bird enthusiasts alike are invited to explore this unique exhibit and discover the beauty of California’s furred and feathered residents.