Art Exhibit, Sue Cotter in SLC

Utah Arts & Museums opened the exhibit Redux: Five Fellowship Artists Revisited on Friday, February 17 at the Rio Gallery in Salt Lake City. The exhibit will continue until March 30, 2012. Rio Gallery is located at 300 S. Rio Grande Street in Salt Lake City. Hours are 8:00 am to 5:00 pm M-F. Admission is free.

For more than 25 years, Utah Arts & Museums has awarded two fellowships annually to outstanding professional artists to acknowledge their artistic excellence and encourage their careers. This exhibit takes a look back at some of those fellowship winners to showcase how this prestigious award has advanced their careers. The exhibit features five fellowship recipients: Sue Cotter (1992), James Charles (1995 and 2012), Jane Catlin (2000), Gary Barton (2001), and Madison Smith (2005).

Artist Statement 

I received a $5,000 Utah Arts Council Fellowship way back in 1992, two years after my move to Utah from Reno, Nevada. I had learned letterpress printing and bookmaking at the University of Nevada, Reno's Black Rock Press where I studied and worked as an assistant for two years. Leaving Reno and moving to Utah left me without access to all the printing equipment needed for my work. Bit by bit I found and purchased equipment as I could afford to, a printing press, paper cutter, small tools, but the Fellowship windfall allowed me to quickly complete my letterpress studio set-up. Suddenly I could buy much needed flat files and type cabinets, but most important, and most expensive of all, many fonts of new lead type in a range of faces and sizes. No more worn, nicked old used type with only two typeface options and never enough “h”s. It was a dream come true!

Today my studio occupies 1/3 of a home with two studios my partner, Spike Ress and I built ourselves in Parowan. It is the first home I have ever owned and represents a commitment to living in Utah that is now going on 22 years. Our location offers Spike access to the dramatic red-rock and canyon landscape he loves to paint and puts me close to the more subtle, vast Great Basin region that inspires my work.

I love setting type, putting ink on the press and seeing the magic of printing but in recent years we have been traveling extensively, sometimes away from home for months at a time. I have adapted to this vagabond life by doing more collage and assemblage work using the bits and pieces I collect wherever we go. I am still devoted to the book theme and storytelling but in less obvious forms. I will never give up my letterpress. New book ideas are forming in my head and in my sketchbooks all the time. Making art, in whatever form, is an essential part of my life.

The Artwork

Mexican Door Story-box series: While in San Miguel de Allende I discovered weekly book sales at San Miguel's biblioteca where an assortment of discards sold for 25¢ to $1. I purchased books with bright colored covers like the houses of the city. I was in love with the beautiful artistry and creativity of doors in Mexico. Using book covers as a base I recreated doors in miniature using Mexican bark paper, polymer clay, spackle, paint and beads. Each exterior façade hides an inner story. Open the box to see the tableau.

Sacred Hearts, 14x20x2''

In the state of Oaxaca we saw many churches built on top of  ancient sites of Zapoteca pyramid temples. The symbol of the bleeding or flaming heart has a prominent place in both religious cultures. I love the overlap of old and new so visible in Mexico.

Capilla de Artesanias, 10x18x2''

This door was on the street where we rented a casita for a month. We'd walk past it every day. It was one of my favorites for its color and primitive charm. We'd see people coming and going at all hours and could only guess it was headquarters for some sort of union of artisans. In this story-box I imagine what might have been behind that door.

Casa de Fortuna, 10x18x2''

This door speaks of much wealth and good fortune to the inhabitants of this home. The word Fortuna can mean luck, fate or fortune, all powerful concepts in Mexican culture.

Diego, mi amor, 10x18x2''

One year in San Miguel we saw an exhibit of some of Frida Kahlo's letters to Diego Rivera. These few letters had recently been found in a small, hand painted box hidden away in Frida's house. Frida's relationship with Diego was clearly tortured and conflicted. Seeing the actual letters and reading the translations was intriguing. That same year a friend who was looking at real estate in San Miguel was shown a rundown place near El Centro. When the agent opened the door she saw a small deer run across the courtyard into one of the rooms. She said it looked like the kind of deer Frida once kept as pets. The agent said it was a family pet though no one now lived in the house. This mystery, combined with seeing Frida's letters led to this piece.

 Altered Books

Again, the book sales at the library in San Miguel supplied old books to alter into artworks. I did a series of altered books themed on birds of Mexico.

Chupaflores, 9½x6¼x1'' closed

A pair of hummingbirds kiss above a nectar filled blossom. The birds are made of bark paper embellished with glass beads and metallic thread. The pop-up paper flower has filaments made of black feathers.

Un Amor de Mexico, 25x7x1½'' closed

This piece is my ode to Mexico. The bird-headed woman is often seen in my work. In this representation she is an Inca dove made of bark paper, beads, and synthetic sinew. Inside  is a handwritten excerpt from one of my Mexico travel journals and a niche filled with a jumble of small treasures.

Rock-books

I have been making rock-books for many years. I find rocks that are already cracked and splitting open into book covers. Often the shape of the rock suggests the theme for the book.

Las Calaveras  (The Skulls), 4x2x1'' closed

The shape of this rock said “skull” so this book just had to be about Day of the Dead, a Mexican tradition we experienced firsthand one year while in San Miguel the first week of November.

Spare Me the Heartstrings, 10x2x1½'' closed

A heart shaped rock-book with a humorous twist. It speaks for itself.

Rock-book in a Jar, 3x2½x2½'' closed

This little egg-shaped rock became a “field guide” to birds' eggs. The pages are made of paper wasp paper backed with handmade abaca paper. The eggs were painted in watercolor, cut out and glued on. The glass jar with its wonderful patina and rusty lid were found in a junk pile in Taos, New Mexico. A few small natural treasures are also included in the jar like a child's precious collection.

Gracias Hija de la Luna, 14x10½x4½''

The idea for this assemblage was inspired by jacaranda pods, abundant on the ground in Mexico in the springtime. The Mayan myth of The Daughter of the Moon is represented here with handmade paper flower petals and a tiny silver bird.

Up on the Roof in Mexico, 25x16x6''

left - doors closed, center - detail of book, right - book removed

From the rooftops we could see much of the colorful life going on all across the city. We spent a lot of time up there sipping coffee in the mornings and margaritas in the evenings. I collect a wide range of materials wherever we travel. This assemblage and book were constructed using wonderful “debris” from the streets.

Mexico Days, 16x15x3'' open

Mesquite wood diptych with book. The slab of wood was given to me by a friend Patricia Valencia who talked a Benedictine monk woodcarver out of it because she knew I'd like it. Since it came from the monastery property, I decided to make it an altar of sorts. This altar honors fond memories of Mexico Days.

Tangle of Language, 20x16x15½

The idea for this work grew from travels in several countries in Europe where we tried to quickly adapt to whatever language was spoken, often getting confused – bom dia, buenos dias, or buon giorno? Oui or Si? I have studied both French and Spanish. I am not good with either and often tangle them together. Nevertheless, I hope to continue traveling and learning.

Nuacht na Maidine (Irish; The Morning News), 20x16x3''

I arrived early morning in rain-soaked Ireland after leaving from Las Vegas, Nevada, flying all night. In a jet-lagged brain-fog two landscapes merged into a surreal vision.

Testament of Beauty, 26x18x3''

This assemblage is about the beauty, magic and mystery I find in the western desert landscapes of the U.S. In spite of my wanderlust, this is where I feel most at home.

Going South to Palmer and Homer, Alaska

Leaving Talkeetna our next destination was Palmer. Palmer is in the Matanuska Valley northeast of Anchorage, a wide valley surrounded by stupendous mountains. With the valley floor at an elevation of 240 ft., the abrupt slopes and sharply pointed mountain peaks tower imposingly above rich farmlands. We chose to explore this area because a friend back home described it as somewhat like the farm and ranch areas in Montana near the Tetons. That was true, but on a much grander scale.

In 1935, the era of the dust bowl and depression, the Federal Relief Administration, a New Deal agency, sent 203 families to join an agricultural colony in the Matanuska Valley in order to get a few poor farmers off the dole. It wasn't an entirely successful effort but some families stayed and the population grew. Agricultural no longer dominates but as we explored the region we did see red barns and green fields which make nice subject matter for paintings.  We also saw brilliant autumn colors and massive glaciers that were breathtaking. 

A. Talkeetna, AK

B. Palmer, AK

C. Homer, AK

Matanuska River and Chugach Mountains, seen from the Old Glenn Highway loop.

All the bushy-tailed squirrels we saw in Alaska were these very pretty Red Squirrels.

On an impulse we turned off the Old Glenn Hwy onto Knik River Road. It proved to be a beautiful drive.

A dramatic sighting of Knik Glacier, a river of ice and source of the Knik River.

Mirror-like reflections near Knik River.

View from our campsite at RV park in Palmer. As we reached the end of September

more and more State Park campgrounds were closed for the season.

We often ended up in private RV parks. 

Farmland in the Matanuska Valley.

12x16 watercolor painted on location (en plein air) 

Pioneer Mountain near Palmer, AK

Another spectacular view in Palmer, Alaska.

One highlight of our trip – seeing the Northern Lights on our last night in Palmer. We had been checking the aurora forecast website for current aurora activity. That night the activity level was 4 (on a scale of 1-10) and the visibility range shown on the map encompassed the Palmer-Anchorage area. The best time to see the lights is between 11:30 PM and 2:00 AM.

We had been collapsing into bed around 9:00 as the days grew shorter. When Sue awoke at 11:30 it wasn't easy to get out of the warm sleeping bag to step outside, but she was glad she did. She woke Spike up and he spent the next hour trying to get a good digital photo (not easy!) It was down to 27° F that night, the first time our water hose froze.

Heading for Homer, Alaska                               

Homer, a town of about 5,000,  is located on the southwestern Kenai Peninsula on the north shore of Kachemak Bay. We heard Homer has a large artist community due in part to their relatively mild climate and picturesque setting. This location was our first taste of the southern coastal part of Alaska.

Black bears, mother and cub (second cub is not in photo) We saw this family on the edge of Anchorage very near a big box store shopping complex. They were not at all concerned about our presence.

En route to Homer we spotted this Airstream transformation, a terrible fate for an Airstream! But we then realized that Beatrice Bee of the Beehive RV Park made a very effective mascot to attract the attention of travelers. Moonshadow just had to stop by to say hello and get a closer look.

View of the Chugach Mountains as we drove along Turnagain Arm, an inlet named by Captain Cook who was seeking the Northwest Passage in 1778. He thought it was a river and was greatly disappointed when he  reached the end and had to turn around again.

We took a short side trip off the route to Homer to see Portage Valley, a narrow glacier carved valley where one can see 6 glaciers flowing down towards the valley, though all have receded greatly in recent years.

Moonshadow with a view of Portage Glacier and lake. We stopped for lunch in the empty parking lot of the Portage Valley visitor center. Sadly it was closed for the season.

Moose cow with twins crosses the river as we leave Portage Valley.

We saw this classic scene of mountains, clouds and lake along the way. There was no pull-out but being off-season with hardly another car on the road we were often able to take a quick shot from the roadside shoulder.

All over glacier country we saw this amazing turquoise blue in lakes and rivers. It is caused by what is called “rock flour.” As glaciers move over the land, the rocks they pick up are ground to fine dust particles that become suspended in the water. This causes the light to reflect turquoise blue from the milky surface.

We arrived in Homer and got this beautiful late afternoon view of the Spit. The Homer Spit is a narrow bar of gravel that juts out 4.3 miles into the bay. In the big earthquake of 1964 parts of the Spit sank 4 to 6 feet, forcing some buildings to be relocated. Today it is the site of a major deep water docking facility and lots of touristy shops and eateries. Homer is a popular halibut fishing location and the home base of the 7-boats and crews featured on Discovery Channel's “Deadliest Catch” reality series.

While in Homer we were unfortunate to hit a spell of rainy weather which hampered opportunities for good photos, with the exception of this lucky rainbow shot. In many cultures rainbows are considered good luck. We embrace that belief, especially when it happens to come right to our doorstep.

10x12 oil, done on location (en plein air)

In spite of unfriendly weather Spike found a good overlook of Kachemak Bay

and did this painting.

We were fortunate to catch a fascinating art exhibit at the Pratt Museum in Homer, by far one of the best small museums we have ever seen. Their exhibits cover the art, science and culture of the area with beautifully designed interactive displays. This photo shows artwork by Margo Klass who was one of three artists and one scientist featured in a special exhibit themed on Boreal Birch.

Also worth seeing in Homer is the Bunnell Street Arts Center. For such a small town Homer has a lot of interesting cultural activity. We were sorry we could not stay longer.

Homer on Dwellable

Art Workshops Fairbanks

It was the opportunity to teach workshops in Fairbanks that got the whole concept of this Alaska adventure underway. Spike’s 5-day watercolor workshop for the Fairbanks Watercolor Society came together first, thanks to the efforts of Betsy Bear. Betsy then put Sue in touch with Corlis Taylor, another Fairbanks artist, who gathered together a group for a 2-day book arts workshop. Our stay in Fairbanks focused on a full week of teaching, Spike’s workshop Monday through Friday, Sue’s on Saturday and Sunday.

Spike’s Workshop                                       

The plan for Spike’s workshop was to do a few demonstrations and some instruction indoors for a day or two, then spend time outside painting on location, weather permitting. Being September, weather was unpredictable but autumn colors were gorgeous and sunny days would be pleasantly warm.

Workshop participants experienced a no-nonsense approach to painting with individual and group instruction. Four key points were covered: simple guidelines to a better composition - laying down a foundation quickly and confidently - simplifying shapes and understanding what you see - understanding the balance of warm and cool colors.

For information about future workshops, visit Spike's workshop page.

A demonstration mirror lets everyone watch Spike as he paints.

First demonstration painting (15x22”) – a scene of the Copper River

based on a photo we took along the Alaska Highway.

After Spike’s demo, workshop participants attempted to paint the same scene.

Everyone takes a look at Spike’s mobile studio set-up.

A beautiful day painting outdoors at the Georgeson Botanical Garden in Fairbanks.

Gael sketches under a tree.

Spike helps “Jeanne from Mars.”

Spike advises Betsy.

Workshop information overload, “I can’t take in anymore!”

A bit later with Spikes help Nelda was happily painting.

Sherry hard at work.

Tom works on a masterpiece.

Spike and Helen discuss composition.

Tony, interrupted in his concentration.

Gathering for another demo.

Demo painting- Last Light, Wrangell-St.Elias (12''x16''.)

Thursday night we all brought food for a potluck feast. The workshop facility at St. Raphael Catholic Church was ideal with plenty of space, large widows for good light and a big kitchen.

An evening of good food and great conversation.

Drawing done by Spike during the outdoor session to demonstrate how important a composition sketch is so back in the studio the artist can complete a painting without photographic reference using only the sketch and one’s memory for color.

Last demonstration painting, Autumn Farm (12x16”) painted from the above drawing without reference to a photo. (now in the collection of Barbara Schuhmann)

A nice card from the appreciative group (accompanied by a gift of delicious smoked salmon and a bag of North Pole coffee beans.) We love these friendly Alaskans.

We had a wonderful time with the Fairbanks Watercolor Society gang. This was one of the nicest groups of people Spike has ever worked with. It was a great teaching experience for him.

(Some of the photos above are courtesy of Betsy Bear & Gael Murakami.)


Sue’s Workshop                                            

Sue’s workshop was titled The Spontaneous Book. The creation of this book begins with a full sheet of watercolor paper which is painted on both sides – spontaneously. It is then cut into pages which are sewn together. Binder’s board covers are attached with glue. The book is then ready to be developed into a unique work of art. The great thing about this approach is that you are no longer faced with a book full of blank pages. By the time you have gone through the painting and assembly process your pages have color and texture and your brain is fired-up with inspiration.

It was thanks to Corlis Taylor’s organizing efforts

and use of her studio space that made Sue’s workshop possible.

With only two days to make our books the class worked quickly on the step-by-step process of painting, cutting, sewing pages and gluing on the cover boards. Once books were assembled everyone unleashed their own creative visions to work on covers and inside pages.

Much progress was made on these Spontaneous Books in the short time we had. It is hoped inspiration will continue as each artist works on their books, inside and out.

Left to right - Peggy, Sue, Janet, Timona, Linda, Corlis, DaLonna, Me.

Everyone had fun and did a great job. Sue left the group with paper and boards for each one to make another book. She looks forward to seeing the results if anyone wants to send a photo or two.