Page 19 - the Noise August 2016

cover artist
catherine sickafoose: transparency & depth
by jen turrell
because of transparent quality of the medium, watercolor is considered one of the most unforgiving forms of painting. Unlike oil paints where a mistake can be either scraped off or fully painted over, with watercolors one color shows through another, meaning mistakes have to be incorporated or the piece discarded entirely. In the hands of amateurs, like my kids and myself, this can make for clumsy (but often endearing) images. In the hands of an expert like Catherine Sickafoose, this transparency becomes a tool for the exploration of light and reflection, shadow and depth.
Ms. Sickafoose was born and raised in Toronto, Canada, but has spent much of her life here in Flagstaff, Arizona. Art has been a big part of her life ever since her mother gave her a set of oil paints for her 10th birthday, but she didn’t pursue painting in earnest until later in life.
“Art has always been an important part of my life. But a career as a Registered Nurse and raising a family took precedence.” Ms. Sickafoose has always loved visiting arts and craft shows and galleries. A basic drawing class taught her the importance of the skill. From there, she took watercolor classes and workshops and built a reference library of art books. Through various art guilds and societies she has belonged to over the years, she has shown work in more than 50 juried shows and has had over 20 solo shows since 2003.
These days Ms. Sickafoose works mainly in transparent watercolors. This means glazing the watercolor paints to create depth and using the white of the paper rather than using opaque white paint. She describes this as capturing and saving the white of the paper, to allow it to add brilliance to the paint as she glazes the many layers. She is a juried member of the Transparent Watercolor Society of Brea, California. Her subject matter varies a great deal from landscapes, florals and still life compositions to soccer players and parades. Many of her paintings start with photos she has taken herself on walks and hikes in the Arizona Northland.
About the cover image Sunshine, Ms. Sickafoose says it was created from the combination of several photos, arranged like a collage. Once happy with the composition, she drew the image onto the watercolor paper and only then did she begin to paint. Many of her paintings begin in this way. She spends a lot of time with the composition and the drawing before ever putting brush to paint.
When it comes to her still life compositions, like the impressive glass vessels holding strawberries or filled with water and lavender flowers, Ms. Sickafoose sets up the arrangement, either in her studio, with a spotlight, or outside in the bright natural sunlight. In this way she can care- fully study the reflections and shadows particular to viewing objects and water through glass. Taking several photos of the lit still life helps her decide how to approach the composition. Looking closely at the glass and observing how it changes the image is key. If the glass holds water for flower stems, then she observes the refractions and incorporates those as well. “I constantly struggle with keeping my watercolors some- what loose, allowing the paint to do its thing, but still maintain some control. I do not want realism, but rather a representation of my subject.”
The beautiful landscape painting, Inner Basin Gold, was painted after Ms. Sickafoose visited the basin with her husband for a hiking trip. “It was such a beautiful day, and the fall colors were awesome! I really felt like I was witness to God’s paintbrushes. I hope I have done them justice!”
The subject matter of this painting, the golden Autumn leaves of the aspen trees climbing up from the base of the San Francisco Peaks, is the high point of the season for many residents of Flagstaff, myself included. My favorite part of this particular painting is the way the more literally representative upper portion of the painting dissolves into spatters and drips of paint towards the lower edge, with a significant area of exposed white paper in between and around her signature. It feels like a reminder that while the image came from nature and reality, the job of the artist is interpretation, perspective, process and craft.
“I like to use spatter to finish off my paintings. Spatter accentuates the watercolor process and adds a finishing touch for me along with my signature.”
Ms. Sickafoose explains that the painting, Soccer at Fox Glen Park was inspired by watching two of her grandsons playing. “While visiting us here in Flagstaff, we all went to the park and I caught some photos of them with their soccer ball. Living near Fox Glen Park, I often see a soccer game in progress and love to capture some of the action with photos. I like to strive for the postures and poses, rather than any true likeness.”
Colors of Autumn 2 was painted from a collection of leaves gathered, photographed, painted and then framed with one of a handmade vintage frame made with oak from a family farm in Indiana. The vintage frame series was a special feature in this year’s solo show at Brandy’s Restaurant & Bakery, which included 39 original watercolor works, including 15 pieces with the vintage frames constructed by her husband John, using reclaimed wood.
“I especially love flowers and am inspired to include them in many of my paintings. Arizona offers a plethora of places to visit, and hiking in the high country as well as the desert is just fantastic for me and my camera. So many possible subjects for a painting!” Besides creating her own original work, Ms. Sickafoose also teaches watercolor classes, both private and group, for adults and children. In June of 2016, she was a guest presenter (with a painting demo and class) for a fifth year, at the Red Rock Lavender Farm in Concho, Arizona.
Presently Ms. Sickafoose’s biggest challenge is finding time to paint while keeping up with her online presence and gallery commitments. “Sharing my art is a blessing and a passion that I feel so grateful to have! One comment that I frequently hear is that my paintings make people feel happy. What more can I ask for?”
Ms. Sickafoose’s annual solo show closed July 21, but she will have a smaller selection of paintings in the “Back of the House Art” at Brandy’s for the season. As a member of the Artists’ Coalition of Flagstaff, her work can be seen at the Arts Connection Gallery at the Flagstaff Mall, and she will be participating in Flagstaff Open Studios, August 27th and 28th. Zani’s Cards & Gifts and the Flagstaff General Store carry select pieces. Additional information at Catherinesickafoose.com
at left: inner basin gold, an example of one of Catherine Sickafoose’s favorite subjects.