During one of my visits, I thought of my grandmother’s portrait, the one my family prized, painted by my grandfather in 1925. It triggered a memory that I had a family history in New Orleans.  

My grandparents had been married in the city and my father had been born there.  However, the marriage lasted only a few years, ending with my grandmother and father relocating to New York City.  I was born and raised in the Northeast, so my family orientation was not Southern.

Although I don’t have a firm belief in fate, it seemed as though I was on a guided path to discover the marvels of New Orleans.  

I learned of the Quarter’s art colony that began blooming in the 1920s and was fascinated by the image of artists living in close proximity among the eloquent antiquity of the residences and inspiring one another.

I stumbled across the Historic New Orleans Collection where I found a file with information about my grandfather. Their collection also contained several of his paintings.  

This kick-started a research journey wherein I reached out to people I didn’t know in search of information about Dan Whitney. They were all warm, welcoming, interesting and intriguing.  Several became dear friends.

This experience gave rise to my love affair with New Orleans - the people and the place. I was so inspired by the city that I moved here and live among the painters, writers, and musicians.

Here, everyday life is an art form. In Painting Catherine, I have blended my passion for New Orleans with what I have learned in my years of research.

I offer this book as my love song to this extraordinary place and the bold artists of its past – and its future.