Lobby Exhibit
Sue Kopp Casillas
Avian Dreams
March - May 2024
While Sue now makes her home in Puyallup, WA, her life road has taken her from small town Minnesota to Arizona, Idaho, Mississippi, California, North Carolina and Virginia. She’s lived in Latin America, not once, but three times—and her art is vibrant with that experience.
Sue earned a BFA in painting and drawing at Arizona State University and is both an artist and teacher. Her work has been displayed in juried shows and in private collections in the US, Mexico, Great Britain and the Netherlands. Her current work is an exciting departure from her usually representational subject matter of landscapes and still life.
Artist Statement:
My current artistic focus has been on paintings of birds done in a style many people have said reminds them of different cultures: México, Central and South America, various North American indigenous cultures, Australia.
My stepping off design (the Trogon), was inspired by an art form called the “mola,” a technique called reverse appliqué made by women in San Blás, Panamá. For that first painting, I used an old landscape canvas figuring if I was unsuccessful, no harm done! I started with a black outline composition of the birds and vegetation on top of the old landscape and began filling in the other areas with color and pattern.
During the painting process, I discovered that letting the old landscape peek through worked out really, really well! For each of the subsequent paintings my technique and color palette evolved, but I was consistent in painting my designs on top of an underpainting. I have done about twenty of these paintings so far and I’ve been happy with the results of each one. Some of my bird subjects have been more imaginative than real, but plenty have been based on birds I have seen or birds I hope to see some day. Combining my love of birds, and my attraction to color and pattern, Avian Dreams has been a rewarding journey.