By Beth Stewart.
This is the ninth in an ongoing series in which The Beat Magazine 2025 takes readers “Behind The Scenes” to meet the talented creative individuals who make the London area such a vibrant arts and culture community.
In this segment, Beth Stewart profiles Visual Artist Cathy Horvath Buchanan.
(Cathy Horvath Buchanan – the artist at work.)
For many years, Cathy Horvath Buchanan’s paintings were constructed purely from imagination and they manifested as colourful landscapes with a folk-inspired sensibility.
(Cathy Horvath Buchanan, “Lake Road Red Tree”, 14 by 18 inches, acrylic on canvas.)
Her current work is rooted in real-world sources. In it, she combines imagery from her plein air studies with photos from her camera roll to construct paintings. A healthy dollop of artistic licence means she still honours the colorful characteristics of her earlier work.
Horvath Buchanan explains, “The external inspiration is the starting point, but during the creation process I mutate elements in the picture, looking for ways to add colours, cast shadows, interesting lines, and use mark-making to express the dynamic mood of the view. Imagination informs most of those changes, as I freely adlib to find rhythms within the painting to accentuate the vibe of the subject.”
Horvath Buchanan is driven to create by the desire to express what she sees so she can keep it close. To commit something to canvas, she examines every aspect of her chosen subject. She says, “Once I paint something, it will always be with me.”
She makes good use of this ability to cement memory: “In the winter I paint flowers and summer landscapes because I miss and want the joy they bring me.”
Horvath Buchanan has work in local galleries, including Museum London’s gift shop, Sparta’s Gathered, Main Street Gallery in Bayfield, St. Thomas Elgin Public Art Gallery, and in venues around Port Stanley including the Art & Soul Cafe, and the Windjammer.
She is currently in the top 100 for the 2026 Kellogg’s Art Competition with “Golden Harbour Port”, a colourful acrylic on canvas painting of the Port Stanley harbour.
(Cathy Horvath Buchanan’s “Golden Harbour Port”, a 20-by-26-inch acrylic on canvas can be seen at the 2026 Kellogg’s Art Competition.)
She is looking forward to once again being in the Elgin County Studio Tour September 26 and 27. This is the perfect opportunity for art lovers to visit her Port Stanley studio.
For more information on Cathy Horvath Buchanan, and to see her online offerings of paintings, prints and more, visit her website at CathyHorvathBuchanan.com
Profiled by Beth Stewart
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100009620916363
The Beat Magazine 2025 