Page 29 - the NOISE June 2014

by Caleb McClURe
liGhT iN WaTeRColoR
Light through glass warps and distorts images — producing dif- ferent colors and shapes. Catherine Sickafoose captures the intricacies of light in a medium as fragile as light itself.
“It’s just something I find very ap- pealing when you see the sun shin- ing through glass and reflecting. To see those reflections ... it just lends itself beautifully to create a painting in watercolor,” she said.
The show started when her
daughter attended nAU. Her daugh-
ter took Ms. sickafoose to Brandy’s
to eat and suggested she try to show her work in the restaurant. every year since she has had a show in the acclaimed eatery during the summer.
It wasn’t long before she was showing her work that Ms. sickafoose started painting with watercolor, the medium she would dedicate her efforts towards. she was a nurse earlier in life, but art was always something that was there. “I like the transparency, and the pure colors, and the process of glazing and building it up in layers as well.”
Her technique utilizes wax to save her white space before painting. she layers more wax to save her lighter colors as each layer of the painting builds upon the next. when the painting is complete the wax is finally removed using a hot iron. she doesn’t al- ways know what she’s going to get. Fortunately living in the southwest speeds her process. “In Arizona things dry a little faster,” said Ms. sickafoose.
watercolor is an essential part of her life. “If I’m away from my artwork or my paint- ing for very long I really feel lost. I think it’s just a god given talent I have that I want to share,” said Ms. sickafoose. Her 12th annual show hangs through July at Brandy’s Restaurant & Bakery, 1500 east Cedar Avenue. BrandysRestaurant.com
CReaTURe FeaTURe
Laurel Hansen’s paintings bring the viewer into a world of characters jux- taposed in a human, spirit and animal world. “It’s kind of like you’re peeking into the world or you’re peeking into the evening of these characters,” said Ms. Hansen.
Ms. Hansen grew up in an artistic household in napa Valley, California. Her father would bring her art supplies and they would create. Her mother played the piano, and while she was tapping on the keys the young artist was beneath her painting, drawing, creating. “I just always had stories that
needed to get out and paintings that needed to get out,” she remembered.
In her series she creates postcards for a world where the lines between human, ani- mal and spirits are crossed. Her painting style muffles the character’s features — mak-
ing her work up for interpretation by the viewer. Their expressions and the stories the paintings tell are ambiguous — where one viewer can see a painting of joy, another could see something more sinister. “There’s an openness to it. These creatures are trav- eling together for some reason and I can’t tell you why,” said Ms. Hansen with a laugh.
Ms. Hansen’s “Meditating on the Creature,” opens at West of the Moon, 14 north san Francisco street in Flagstaff, on June 1 with a reception on June 5 during the First Friday Artwalk. 928/774-0465 WestoftheMoonGallery.com
JUNe aRT eveNTs
“I saw God in my Cheeseburger,” is a series coming to New Age Drinks Gallery in Je- rome from June 6 to July 11. It is a series of small paintings and drawings on paper cre- ated by Cody Lee Berry while in Japan from 2013-2015. It explores the concept of ‘mono no aware’ or the understanding and beauty of impermanence. new Age Drinks is located in the Old Jerome High school, 879 Hampshire Ave, suite B201. 928/821-4601
A new collection of artwork, “Journey,” by sei sato, opens on June 23 at Coconino Center for the Arts. The artist creates acrylic paintings on a grand scale — some piec- es as tall as 8 feet. Opening reception is Friday, June 19. FlagArtsCouncil.org
The 2015 navajo Rug Auction at the Museum of Northern Arizona, 3101 n. Fort Valley Road will be auctioning over 300 weavings. This event is free to the public, and free to register as a bidder. The community can join in on bidding and at the same time learn about the history and tradition of navajo weaving. On June 13 an auction preview will be from 9AM to 1PM, with the auction beginning at 2PM. MusNAZ.org
have art? arts@thenoise.us
thenoise.us • the NOISE arts & news • JUNE 2015 • 29