Kathy Stobaugh

Art is a personal expression. As an artist, I wish to communicate an emotional reaction to my surroundings, an interpretation of what I see and feel. The landscapes that surround us are Nature’s perfect collages – layers upon layers, assembled to perfection. When I am hiking, which I do almost every day, I get so excited by these layers and the collages start right then… in my head. Sometimes a painting has to be painted so I can make a print of it to tear up to place in the collage, sometimes, I need to take a photo to print and tear.

I created my first collage in a high school history class. Even though I have done many things since, collage still remains one of my favorite forms of expression whether it is done with a variety of materials or given the illusion with paint. The “process” involved in collage is what I enjoy as I solve problems and experiment with various materials.

My connection to the outdoors, the desert and the mountains, lends itself to the expression I seek bordering on the abstract but is many times still recognizable.

I encourage the viewer to bring to each piece of art their own experiences and emotions.