ARTIST STATEMENT

After a night of painting, I hear the dawn before I see it. Robins, thrushes, wrens and cardinals inject a sweet counter rhythm into the music that has kept me going all night. I turn off the sound system and wait for thin gray light, then relax into the steady flow of color that fills my vision. Finally the sun comes up and I head to bed. As I fall into the space between wakefulness and sleep, visions of the night’s work weave into songs of the birds and the colors of early dawn.

BIO

Mixed Media artist Kathryn Shagas explores rhythmic energy in nature. Her paintings draw from training in classical music and a long career in design, as well as daily forest and beach walks in midcoast Maine. “I often stand at the water’s edge to watch the moon rise. I’ll come back hours later to hear the nighttime sounds of animals, wind and water, tranquil until a screech or howl permeates the silence. These sensory impressions emerge as the rhythms and connections in my work. I seek stories hidden in nature’s rhythms and look for connectivity while there is still time to renew the delicate balance of rhythms that we depend on for life.”

Recent exhibitions include a 2025 two-person show at Triangle Gallery/Rockland, and participation in group shows at Maine Art Gallery (current show: “Song of the Wild”), Waterfall Arts and UMVA venues/ME, Juniper Rag/MA, Prince Street Gallery/NYC, Lyme Art Association/CT, Fountain Street Gallery/Boston. Originally from Montreal, Shagas holds a BFA in design from Philadelphia College of Art and is represented by Triangle Gallery.