Artist Statement
My work is inspired by the landscapes in my surroundings and the internal landscapes that exist without words. I see these as very much aligned. Van Gogh wrote to his brother Theo, “To express hope by a star, the eagerness of the soul by a sunset radiance–Certainly there is nothing in that of– realism, but is it not something that exists?” My love of nature and my work as an art therapist has brought me to my artistic expressions.
There has always been something about the printing process that has drawn me in. I love that I can create images, using a variety of materials, or simply move paint across the plate, adding and taking away. When I send the image through the press, I’m always surprised by the outcome. It is a medium that feels like the art creates itself.
In my studio, I surround myself with the prints and allow for the images to come together to express the colors, rhythms, patterns and movement that inspire me. I tear, rip, sometimes coat them with a paste that allows me to mold the paper, then sew, weave, and/or embroider them to create something new.
About
Kate Rogers is a collage artist in Sonoma, California and has been creating monotypes since the mid 1980’s. In her current work, she uses a variety of materials to allow the viewer to see something familiar in a new way. By highlighting the intricacies of materials like linen thread, raffia, or lichen, her work brings the viewer into more intimate contact with what these materials offer us. By using traditional crafts of sewing, weaving and embroidery, she honors these crafts and the generations of artisans before her.
Kate studied painting, drawing, design and printing at the University of Miami in the 1980’s. In the 1990’s Kate returned to school for a Masters Degree in Psychology and Art Therapy. After working with adolescents and families at the Children’s Health Council in Palo Alto, CA, she opened a private practice in San Mateo, CA. For more than twenty five years she helped children, adolescents and adults work through life’s challenges, finding their voices through the process of making art.
Kate is a Certified Mari Practitioner. Mari is a psychological assessment tool using mandalas to help people understand their inner truths. She runs an art group for seniors in Sonoma, emphasizing self care through creative expression. She prints her monotypes at the Sonoma Community Center’s Printing Studio and then creates her collages at her home studio in Sonoma. Kate is a member of the California Society of Printmakers.