February 2012

Katy Diver

I love clay! Its flexibility, weight, and texture all inspire me. My love of Russian fairy tales, mystical poetry and old block prints has inspired my bas-relief wall plaques. Starting with a thick flat slab of clay, I draw and carve the images. After the plaques are fired, I “paint” them, brushing inks and metallic colors over the textured surface. Recently I started exploring new materials and using color differently. In some I am using fragments of old paintings and layers of paint to reveal the playful and torn apart and reassembled process of image making. I want to work the paper like clay or fabric: building texture and scraping lines.

These experiments have brought excitement and release as I break my old rules and surprise myself. I also create garden art; these weather-resistant clay sculptures add magic to the landscape whether they are half-buried in snow or surrounded by flowers. Many include mosaic elements; some are designed as working fountains. I invite you to contact me if you would like to come to my studio and garden to see current work or hear about the garden totem class I teach. My studio is open year round by appointment. Contact me at katy(at)katydiver.com and please visit my web site at katydiver.com. —Katy Diver

Charlotte Zink

Born and raised in New Orleans, Louisiana, I came out to Colorado in 1987, studied at UC, Boulder and have a BA in Studio Arts & Art Education. I enjoyed teaching art in both Colorado and Washington, DC for awhile before returning to Colorado and becoming a mother. In years past I've enjoyed working in watercolor, mask making and hand made paper.

Since 1998 my artwork focus has been drawing, painting and sculpting different metals with the assistance of my husband, Ben; together we are Zink Metal Art. I offer a strong, fluid, feminine sense of design and form to the metal, and Ben works as our solid fabricator and engineer. Sometimes I've sketched and reflected on the subject matter before I begin drawing on the metal sheet, and other times I enjoy letting my unconscious guide the images, shapes and forms that emerge.

Ben cuts most of our designs with a hand held plasma cutter, and we work together on our different finishes. This collaborating on sculpture designs, layouts, finishing and installation has taught us both so very much about the art process and ourselves. We're proud to have created an extensive body of work in this time; both small and large scale pieces in private and public collections worldwide.

Drawing has been an essential part of my life for as long as I can remember. I think creative expression is a human characteristic every bit as vital as speaking or writing. For me, making art objects is a way of translating my inner visions and thought processes into a tangible outer reality, something I can look at, touch, appreciate and share with others. As time goes by I find myself really giving into art more and more, accepting both the challenges and the incredible grace it brings.

I feel very grateful to spend my working hours doing something I truly love, with the total support of my family and friends. Finding and restoring the 1897 historic "Charles Pollack House" on the main street of Berthoud has allowed us to work from home in our metal shop, display in our own studio gallery and raise our two children together. Our life as parents and artists at times resembles the frenetic dance of a couple of jugglers, but we feel constantly challenged and inspired, and I think the whimsical, light hearted nature of our creations shows this beautifully. —Charlotte Zink

Kathleen Reilly is the Art Coordinator for the C.E. Board. For information call 303-776-9243. For views of her art visit http://www.kathleenreillyart.com/.