Exhibit Wall: Wall 8

Don’t Forget About Me, Sklyar Sypher, Colored Pencil on Paper

Artist Statement 

Hello, my name is Skylar Sypher. I am a Deaf artist. I was born in Ukraine and my parents adopted me when I was 3 years old. I started attending the Colorado School for the Deaf and Blind when I was in middle school and later graduated in 2014.

I have found my passion for art and for almost three years, I have been focused on my artwork. I use colored pencils, soft pastels, and oil paint. My artwork has a story. Within my artwork, you will see my emotions and feelings and my natural instinct to connect spirits to people and animals. My emotions help me to portray the messages into art.

Some of my artwork is positive and some is sorrowful. Other pieces of my art can help you determine how you may feel or help you figure out what you see. I feel alone, like no one is here for me. I know the spirits and the angels are forever by my side. Once you are born unto this earth, they will never leave you. Your friends and family will also support you. You must remember to love yourself. Animals can be spirits who come to visit you and remind you of your loved ones who have passed away.

Untitled, Eva Marie Schubert, Watercolor and Ink on Paper

Untitled, Elizabeth Spalding, Watercolor on Paper 

Artist Biography

Elizabeth Spalding, born in Colorado on March 28, 1868, settled in Denver in her adulthood, and Denver remained her home town her entire life.

Determined to become an artist, she went to New York to study drawing, including outdoor drawing with Leonard Ochtman and many others in the summers that followed, including studies in England and France.

Though Spalding worked in the eastern states, most of her works in oils and watercolors were in Colorado. She began making sketching trips to picturesque spots in the state and came to be recognized as one of the leading promoters of Colorado’s scenic wonders. Her many exhibits included Long’s Peak, Clear Creek Valley, Table Mountain, Colorado Foothills, Iron Bridge on Ute Pass, and The New Hogback Road which she showed at the New York World’s Fair (1939).

Among the many places she exhibited her work were watercolor clubs, the Colorado State Fair and the Broadmoor Art Academy. One person shows were at the following: Museum of New Mexico, Santa Fe (1919); Galerie Jean Nart, Paris (1932); University of Colorado, Boulder (1936-1937); and Denver Art Museum (1942).

Elizabeth received a medal from the City Club of Denver in 1943 for “distinctive achievement in painting” and is represented in many Denver collections, including the Children’s Hospital; Denver Art Museum; Denver Public Library; and West High School.

Elizabeth died May 20, 1954.

Majestic Bighorn Sheep at the Magical Garden of the Gods, Carol McCallister, Photograph

Artist Statement 

My love of nature started in childhood. I am a native of Colorado and grew up on a working ranch in the San Luis Valley. My family was very outdoor oriented; hiking, rafting, and skiing were a normal part of life. I discovered, many years ago, that I really enjoy capturing moments of beauty and stopping time. I have been fortunate to have generous friends, family and other photographers help and guide me along the way.

I love photography because you never know what you will see, it is always an adventure and a surprise. I typically do not have an agenda or a specific photo in mind; being outdoors by myself, with family or friends presents countless opportunities. The beauty of nature is forever changing. Photography is the perfect combination of art and science, it allows me to preserve beauty, nature, and history all at once. This photograph is one of those special moments. I hope my photography helps others to see and feel the beauty I did.

Pearls of the West, Rosario Weston, Oil on Canvas

Artist Statement 

I am a new American who came to the United States from Chile at age 10. During the developmental years of my three sons, I was a single mother who solely provided for my family. During this time, I sought business education and worked in large corporations all which allowed me to provide for my family, but, did not allow time to develop my painting or sculpting as my chosen story telling voice until 2020. In the year 2020 for the first time in my life, I was able to devote and make a solid commitment to spending meaningful time to my art. Nature, people doing what comes naturally to them within contemporary culture and how these interact with one another are all important influential subjects to me. My paintings and sculptures are inspired by current events and current mindsets and heart sets in our day to day. Personally, focusing on the universal understanding of community, love, acceptance, kindness and respect is a priority for me.

Artist Biography

Rosario studied Art/Painting/ Sculpture/ Architectural Design at the University of Idaho and later at Wichita State University. At Wichita State University, Rosario participated in various exhibits as well as two solo exhibitions. During this period of time, Rosario was also sponsored by Chile’s Ministry of Tourism to paint mural in Chanaral, Chile.
During the 2020 Global pandemic lock-down Rosario had the next opportunity in her life to focus on painting full time. Since, Rosario has exhibited in the State of Washington, California, Illinois and Colorado. Rosario is happy to reside in Colorado Springs where she paints in her home studio. Rosario is also a passionate art educator and leader and served as the Chair of the Fine arts Department at St. Mary’s High School in Colorado Springs, Colorado. Rosario is presently back working on her painting.

 

Lleu, Claire Swinford, Gouache on Paper

Artist Statement 

My paternal great-grandmother Hazel Lawyer Spencer was a painter. When I started painting in my early twenties, my mother showed me some of Grandma Hazel’s still lifes, which had been stashed in the back of a closet under the stairs. I don’t know how Hazel learned to paint, or why, or whether she painted cowboys and pink roses because they had deep significance for her as a Midwest farm wife or whether she would’ve painted something else if she thought she could get away with it. But I wish I knew the story. I found myself responding strongly to the premise of 50% of the Story: Women Expressing Creativity because it points up the importance of wielding one’s own power as a storyteller in times and places where no one else is saying the things you want to say. Storytelling is fundamental to the human experience, but having space in which to share the stories that matter most to us is sometimes rare. This is especially the case if those stories are complex, painful or challenging to the status quo. Finding a way to tell those personal stories through painting can be extraordinarily powerful. I make paintings as a way to think about identity as it is shaped by the past. I’ve found that the process of turning an image into a painting is a way of accessing a deeper understanding of the stories we tell ourselves about who we are, where we come from and what we want. I frequently use my relatives as my subjects, but my paintings seem to bring up deeply felt memories, images and feelings even for people who have never met my family. The act of sharing my paintings with others becomes a way of recognizing how our stories are connected. Frequently, we end up noticing commonalities in both our truths and our falsehoods.

Artist Biography

Narrative figure painter Claire Swinford has been making work in the Pikes Peak Regions since 1999, when her illustration of a fish won the Lewis-Palmer School District sixth grade art scholarship contest. More recently she was named 2016 Rising Star by the Pikes Peak Arts Council and was the 2016 Creative Industry recipient of the Mayor of Colorado Springs’ Young Leader Award. Recent solo exhibitions include Surface Gallery, Kreuser Gallery, the Cultural Office of the Pikes Peak Region and the Machine Shop. Group exhibitions include UCCS Galleries of Contemporary Art, the Colorado Springs Fine Arts Center at Colorado College, the Modbo and the Colorado Springs Pioneers Museum. Curatorial credits include Manitou Springs Arts Council, the participatory sculpture installation UNITY COS, and the Sci-Fi Show at SPQR, an immersive exhibit involving 40 visual, literary and performing artists. Her bodies of work explore, respectively, femme world-building and liminality through the trope of textiles, an deconstructing the concept of a shared past through the nostalgic visual cues of Kodachrome slide decks.

Tea Ceremony in the Azalea Garden, Kazuko Stern, Oil on Canvas

Artist Statement 

In this painting, I hope to convey the calm and intimate atmosphere of an informal tea ceremony at the garden of Nezu Shrine in Tokyo, Japan.

I was inspired to paint this scene during my visit to Tokyo in mid-April some years ago. Since I had missed out on cherry blossom season my sister took me to the Azalea Festival at Nezu Shrine. The annual event attracts many visitors who admire over 3000 various azalea plants in the garden of the shrine.

It was stunning to view azalea in full bloom. Upon entering the garden, I noticed that a little stage was set up for an outdoor tea ceremony. Traditionally, a Japanese tea ceremony is attended by guests dressed formally in kimonos. But here I saw a very informal setting attended by regular people. Surrounded by these guests, a young woman serving tea became the focal point of my painting.

Artist Biography

Stern was born and raised in Tokyo, Japan and moved to Colorado Springs after living in New York City and Washington, D.C. She also practiced as a Certified Public Accountant in Colorado Springs, CO. After her son left for college, she started to paint seriously. She was fortunate to study under excellent teaches, such as Quang Ho, Eric Bransby, Herman Raymond, Desmond O’Hagan, Don Sahli, Kim English, Ray Vinella, Ned Muller, Chuck Mardosz, Sparkey LeBold to name a few. Her work has been shown in many galleries and museums across the country.

Stern believes that her art represents a culmination of her life experience and her interest in traveling internationally and domestically, history, literature, classical music, opera and foreign languages. Her work reflects her exposure to and experience in diverse cultures. Wherever she travels and whatever she experiences, she sees the world as a parade of possible paintings, and she wishes to convey these sensations to the viewer.

Our Favorite Place, Sophia Hanna, Oil on Board

Artist Statement 

“Our Favorite Place” was a rare non figurative oil painting for Sophia, where she wanted to memorialize a gallery dear to her heart. Unbeknownst to her, the gallery formerly known as Kreuser was under construction to merge with G44, and form the new Auric Gallery. The space will never look as it does in her painting again, making it extra special.

Sophia Hanna creates figurative oil painting on large-scale wooden panels, watercolor paintings, and interactive installations. She often focuses on themes of body image, mental illness, growing pains, sexuality, and people.

Sophia was born and raised in Colorado Springs, and grew up in the loving arms of the local art community. Her first gallery work debuted when she was only eleven in the local Small Works show. Though she’s largely self taught, she has taken numerous local classes, including when she first learned to oil paint in 2017. She has since produced five solo shows and numerous pieces for group shows. Her most recent solo show, “I Used To Cover My Mirrors”, debuted at Auric Gallery in March 2023.

Sophia additionally debuted as a member of a co-op gallery, True North, downtown Colorado Springs, in March 2024.

Heatwave, Carol Dickerson, Mixed Media

Artist Statement 

My intention is to create images that draw the viewer into a mysterious but somehow familiar world through the universal language of proportion, balance, and harmony. I create layered images of opaque and transparent acrylic paints. My process is similar to jazz improvization: each layer is a response to the color, line, rhythm, texture, and shapes of the previous layer. I may use crayons, charcoal, brushes, rollers, fingers, and stencils to develop the layers. In my current work, I am also exploring the use of mono print techniques, collage, and oil paints.

I left a career as a college librarian in 2012 to pursue painting full time. I have studied with a number of Colorado artists including Chris Alvarez, Lance Green, and Karen Roehl, and participated in workshops led by New Mexico artists Gwen Fox and Virginia Cobb. More recently, I have participated in online classes with Nancy Hillis, Nicholas Wilton, and Melinda Cootsona. My paintings have been shown in group shows at Cottonwood Center for the Arts, Modbo, The Manitou Art Center, Kreuser Gallery, and G44 Gallery in Colorado Springs, as well as D’art Gallery in Denver. In 2017, G44 Gallery and The Machine Shop hosted my first solo shows. In the last six years my work has been featured in eight solo shows, most recently at Surface Gallery in Colorado Springs and Medora Gallery in Canon City, Colorado.

Pikes Peak with Garden Tapestry, Susan Tormoen, Fiber Art