"Born in Austin, Texas, Merri has endured physical difficulties for most of her life since being stricken with polio at 3 1/2 years of age. Through determination and perseverance, she has channeled her energy into developing a keen eye for producing truly unique works of fine art. Even today, as Post Polio Syndrome severely limits the strength in her hands and arms, she shows a remarkable ability to capture the beauty in life through a variety of styles and techniques. " Rich Wachtel
Merri
(aka Cathy Deutsch Friesenhahn)
Cathy Friesenhahn attended the University of Texas, Austin, Texas, in 1965, majoring in art, and received her BLS in art and business from Saint Edwards University, Austin, Texas, in 1985. Saint Edwards University, Austin, Texas, in 1985. She has been married to Rubin Friesenhahn since 1977. She loves music, animals, and travel. She is a signature member of the Texas Watercolor Society.
Cathy runs four websites, Deutsch Friesenhahn Fine Art, http://www.DeutschFriesenhahn.com, started in 1996, which features her paintings and prints; Draw And Paint School, http://www.DrawAndPaintSchool.com, started in 2000, a directory of art lessons and art resources; Cathy Working From Home, http://www.CathyWorkingFromHome.com, started in 2009, a blog of personal amd online marketing experiences; and Deutsch Friesenhahn Presents, http://www.DeutschFriesenhahnPresents.com, started in 2011, which has online webinars. She has a newsletter with over 21,000 subscribers, over 25,000 Twitter followers, and has a new Facebook Fan Page and Linked In membership!
Her paintings and prints are in both corporate and private collections. She was the third place winner of the 'Easter Seals International Juried Art Show', Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, a finalist in the 'Texas Watercolor Society's Annual Juried Art Show', a finalist in the 'TOT Juried Art Show', and a finalist in the '5 State Juried Art Show', Dallas, Texas. Cathy's painting of a Christmas wreath was commissioned for software which was marketed through CircuitCity, Walmart, and other national retailers. Cathy was chosen to be a member of 'Country Crafted', sponsored by the Texas Department of Agriculture. She was also chosen to be a member of 'Special Hands', sponsored by a Texas senator. Her paintings and drawings were hung in the Wichita Falls, Texas, museum. Her art has been published in a national woman's organization calendar.
Deutsch Friesenhahn Fine Art held a successful, juried art show, for ages three to twenty-one, in a local shopping mall, for three years running.
Cathy taught art for several years, which included private lessons, art lessons by a professional artist in the public schools, Austin, Texas, lessons through the parks and recreation department, and the YMCA. She now teaches art online through her website, Draw And Paint School, where she teaches people from all over the world.
From 2010 - 2011 she has devoted her time to online marketing training from Jonathan Budd, Katie Freiling, Brian Moran, and Jeremy Schoemaker.
***
In the summer of 1951, at the age of 3 1/2, I contacted polio. I had all three types, was in an iron lung, and almost died. But I didn't die. I lived to tell the tale.
I had 3 back operations, and had to stay in bed laying flat for a year and a half. I've had my knees, right foot and hand operated on. I could write a book! ...and have been thinking about doing just that.
In the summer of 1973, at the age of 26, I contacted meningococcal pericarditis. I almost died... again. But didn't. ...and lived to tell another tale.
About the year 2000, I began experiencing post-polio syndrome, losing strength in my arms, hands and fingers.
In 2005 I found out that I have 'pitted' eyeballs. Somewhat like a golf ball. I see three images at one time. Sort of like a 3-D comic image.
In 2007 I had both hands operated on for carpel tunnel syndrome.
Somewhere in between all of this, I managed to go back to school and graduate from Saint Edwards University in 1985, 20 years after graduating from high school.
The people I've met along the way have made my life interesting and even exciting. The memories I've made are priceless.
***
My dream was to have 1000 wholesale buyers purchasing one print from me, quarterly. It hasn't happened yet, but I still believe...
***
Newspaper articles about Merri are below.
June 17, 2017 Wine and Cheese Event (seventh annual) - CAC Artists - Round Rock, Texas - 1st Place
June 13, 2015 Wine and Cheese Event (sixth annual) - CAC Artists - Round Rock, Texas.
March 1, 2011 - March 30, 2011 Round Rock Public Library - Exibit (Baca Artists) - Round Rock, Texas.
February 25, 2011 - May 18, 2011 Imagine - Juried Show - Round Rock Arts Council -3rd Annual Exhibit at the Texas State University in Round Rock, Texas.
June 26, 2010 Wine and Cheese Event (first annual) - Baca Artists - Round Rock, Texas.
February 27, 2009 - May 2009 Round Rock Arts Council - 1st Annual Exhibit at the new Texas State University in Round Rock, Texas.
December 12 - 24, 2008 Works displayed in the Armadillo Christmas Bazaar "Live Music & Art - Keep Austin Cool!" in Austin, Texas.
June 20 - 23, 2008 Works displayed in the Dallas Finds Show located in the Dallas World Trade Center, "the largest wholesale market in the USA".
August 25, 2006
Free Listing for Artists
(PRWEB) August 25, 2006 -- Artists who have art lessons on their own website
are invited to submit their lesson pages to Draw And Paint School, http://www.DrawAndPaintSchool.com,
for free inclusion in the Draw And Paint School Artist Resources Directory.
Each lesson page included in the directory receives a free link back to the
submitting artist's website. Artists who also teach live workshops and classes
in the 'real' world will also be listed on a separate page, under the country,
state, and city in which they live, as a resource for live classes and
workshops.
Draw And Paint School is a division of Deutsch Friesenhahn Fine Art, http://www.DeutschFriesenhahn.com,
and has been in business since 1973. Owner and artist Cathy Deutsch Friesenhahn
(Merri) has developed this website as a resource for artists of all levels and
ages, where they can easily find what they need and are looking for.
Teachers, lessons, places to sell art, as well as business resources are listed
inside, saving many hours of research time. Individual critiques and webcam
lessons are also available.
Artists wishing to be included in the Draw And Paint School Resource Directory
free of charge should submit their webpage links by e-mail with ART LESSON in
the 'subject' line of their e-mail.
###
ARTISTS FROM FOUR DIFFERENT NATIONS TEAM WITH
LEGENDARY ARTIST TO FORM ONLINE ART TRAINING
WORKSHOPS
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: February 24, 2005
CONTACT: Cathy Deutsch Friesenhahn (Merri)
EMAIL ADDRESS: CF @ DrawAndPaintSchool.com
PHONE: (512) 255-2146
Website Address:
http://www.DrawAndPaintSchool.com
http://www.DeutschFriesenhahn.com
Interview Cathy Friesenhahn from Deutsch Friesenhahn Fine Art loves to
paint, draw and travel. Learn about her artist's life and get free art
lessons online! iW: Tell us a little about your life as an artist? CF: I was born to Paint, Draw, and Travel!
I love to travel and to meet new people. I like to see and learn about
new things. I also love to draw and paint. I have been drawing and
painting since I was very young. As I grew older, I thought that the
perfect career for me would be to travel and paint the things that I saw
along the way, and then to sell my works of art. It has been
increasingly harder for me to get out to sell my work. The effort is
often too much for me. So, because I still believe that I can travel and
sell my work, I put my prints and some of my originals on the Internet.
This has allowed me to have the ability to continue selling my art work,
with less of a physical effort. Galleries will not promote my art as it does not ALL look the same. I
use different styles and different techniques, picking whichever one is
suitable for the subject. Galleries want all the paintings to look the
same so that they can sell a 'look' which can be attributed to one
artist. Because I can not be placed in a category, I am dependent on
myself to sell my work. The thought that there are millions of people on
the internet who would purchase my art, keeps me going. iW: What's the coolest thing you've ever sold to anyone? CF: A painting I did, from my on-location photograph, of a trail in
Gettysburg National Park. In 1985, I placed in an international art show from Harrisburg,
Pennsylvania. After the show, my sister, JoAnn, and I toured the area
nearby. One of the stops we made was at Gettysburg National Park, in
Gettysburg, Pennsylvania. I took a lot of photographs to use in
paintings when I got home. One of the scenes I photographed was a trail
alongside a log fence. I had never seen a fence built in that fashion
before. I learned that the trail was used by both Union and Confederate
soldiers. From the place where I took the picture was a statue of
General Lee. He was overlooking the battlefield below. It was the place
where the South lost the final battle in Gettysburg. Several years later, I took the painting to a show that I was in, at the
Omni Hotel in Austin, Texas. One of the guests in the hotel came by, saw
it, looked at it for some time, and bought it! This is the kind of thing I want to do. Travel, paint, and sell my
paintings, so that I can continue to travel, and paint. iW: Tell us a little about the print making technique and how it helps
keep your art affordable. CF: A lot of the paintings I do, take several days and often are done
over a course of several months. As I want to make a living selling my
art, I had to think of a way to make more paintings and be able to sell
them at a price that I would be able to pay for a painting. Making
prints became the answer. But making and selling prints has it's own
marketing problems. One being that you have to be able to sell the same
image in multiples, usually 1000 of each image. Printing less than 1000
would not be cost-effective. Selling 1000 images in the 'dirt' world
takes a lot of effort and time. So, I'm hoping that selling 1000 images
on the internet will be easier. I have automated my order page, on my
website, at
iWant.com - March 20, 2000
Seller Interview
Cathy Friesenhahn from Deutsch Friesenhahn Fine Art (3/20/00)
iW: Don't you also provide art instruction online?
CF: I sure do. I have enjoyed teaching both private music and art lessons. I have also taught art lessons for the Parks and Recreation Center and YMCA of Round Rock, Texas. As I am now not able to get my wheelchair out of my car by myself, I am very limited as to where I can go. I now have to pick places that have a lot of people traffic in the parking lot, so that I can asked someone passing by if they would please help take my wheelchair out of the car. People are always willing to help. Because of this problem, I have opted to stop teaching art outside my studio. However, I cannot teach art in my studio either, as my work is always in progress on my table. So, as I gained access to the Internet, I started thinking that I could figure out a way to teach art lessons by e-mail. I had read and studied about writing e-zines and I felt confident that I could do it. I wasn't sure about a long term commitment, though, so I thought about it for over six months. I finally decided to do it. I now have over 1000 cyber-art students and more sign up each day. The lessons are self-paced. When a new student signs up, they are directed in the welcome e-mail, that they immediately go to the Archives. The Archives contain all the lessons that have been sent out. My lessons are set up on an opt-in, opt-out format. People can sign up for the lessons on my homepage or by e-mail at ArtInstruction-subscribe@listbot.com .
Oh, by the way, the lessons are FREE. I am hoping that enough traffic to my website will result in sales of my prints and originals. With the first few sales, I hope to purchase a laptop. Because, with a laptop, I can continue publishing my FREE ART INSTRUCTION ezine while I am on location, ... traveling and painting
Craig Boreth
iWant.com
March 20, 2000
International award-winning artist Merri announces the grand opening of her online art gallery, Deutsch Friesenhahn Fine Art. Located at www.ring.com/shopping/cathyf, Merri's gallery has already received numerous internet awards, including an excellent rating from the prestigious Worldwide Art Xpo.
Born in Austin, Texas, Merri has endured physical difficulties for most of her life since being stricken with polio at four years of age. Through determination and perseverance, she has channeled her energy into developing a keen eye for producing truly unique works of fine art. Even today, as Post Polio Syndrome severely limits the strength in her hands and arms, she shows a remarkable ability to capture the beauty in life through a variety of styles and techniques.
Says Merri, "Everyone views life from their own perspective. I view life in an optimistic way. I see the beauty in things and people." Merri's philosophy is that nothing in nature, or in life, ever looks the same. Therefore, she chooses to match the media with the mood of her subject. Merri's works of art speak for themselves, as evident by the numerous awards she has won in both national and international competition.
Merri's limited edition and open prints may be seen at her Deutsch Friesenhahn Fine Art website at www.ring.com/shopping/cathyf. Her originals are displayed in a series of thumbnails, any of which may be clicked on to place an order. These works of art would make an excellent addition to any collection, or provide a perfect gift for Christmas, weddings, anniversaries, or birthdays. Gift certificates are also available.
It is only through the internet that has allowed Merri to make her artwork available to people all over the world. As they navigate her online gallery, they will quickly recognize her cheerful outlook on life. As Merri notes, "The thing that ties my work together is that it is bright and happy. I like to make people smile!"
A visit to Deutsch Friesenhahn Fine Art will show why Merri has made a name for herself in the international art world.
Friesenhahn delights in confounding expectations. When she was a student at the University of Texas in the mid-1960s, she said, her art teachers told her parents to take her out of classes in the art department because she would never be any good.
Now she not only has an art degree, earned from St. Edward's University over the course of almost 20 years, but has a successful business selling prints of her paintings. She marketed her work out of her home in Round Rock, Texas.
Friesenhahn had her first print, essentially a photographic reproduction, made of a painting called Texas Remembrance, in 1973. "A lot of people liked the painting but couldn't afford it," she said. "That was my objective in making prints - I wanted my artwork to be affordable."
The prints gave Friesenhahn the chance to use her business degree, also earned at St. Edwards University. She markets her work through Edward Art Products of Chicago, which frames prints and sells them in furniture stores, and to hotels and motels. Friesenhahn also sells her artwork directly to home furnishing outlets.
Her success as an artist, Friesenhahn said, has come naturally, "It's just an instinct that I follow. That's what makes my paintings marketable. I do things that other people like, but they're also things that I like."
Friesenhahn, who is confined to a wheelchair because of a childhood bout with polio, said the disease did not spark her interest in art. "I had polio when I was 4, but I was drawing with my mother's lipstick before that," she said.
"But my experience may make me more aware of things. Things like physical barriers to the handicapped, or course, but also things like the little flowers growing in cracks in the sidewalk. Flowers people usually step on."
Her eye for detail is also what attracted her to the Rambo poster. Stallone is standing she said, in a classic pose from religious paintings of the 16th century.
Once the connection to classical art is explained, the poster doesn't seen so out of place. Nor do the pink envelopes and cards, which Friesenhahn said attract more attention on someone's desk than white ones would. "There's a reason for all my madness," she said with a laugh.
An excerpt from the Austin American-Statesman by Scot Meyer
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