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.”

ARTIST STATEMENT

I feel about collage the way a chef might feel about a favorite ingredient. It’s not necessary, but the dish wouldn’t be the same without it. I rarely plan with collage in mind and rarely finish without adding collage to create flavor and dissonance. As the intuitive process develops through listening to music and feeling energetic rhythms, I reach for my own painted papers, paint skins or add new pieces painted on the spot. Different colors, textures and substrates collide, then connect and converse. From the viewpoint of physics, all life in our universe is vibrating at various frequencies, including rocks, trees and objects that appear stationary. And when two or more vibrating things come together, they begin to vibrate at the same frequency. Weaving disparate elements into my work often surprises me with unexpected resonance.