About the Artist

Cathy Sheeter, born in 1979, grew up in a very remote town in Eastern Oregon, where she was immersed in a community with small town values, rich in ranching, agriculture and open spaces. Her love for the natural world was encouraged by her family and she owned (and showed) countless animals throughout childhood. Animals and the western lifestyle continue to be central components of her life and the focus of much of her art. Cathy was fortunate to have a family that encouraged her artistic interests and talents from early childhood. She took art classes throughout high school and was first introduced to the medium of scratchboard in those classes. While Cathy chose to major in animal sciences in college, she never stopped creating art in her free time.

Cathy’s primary choice of mediums is the non-traditional scratchboard. Scratchboard is a form of direct etching where the artist starts with a masonite panel that is coated with white clay and then topped with a thin layer of black ink. A sharp pointed tool is then used to scratch away the black ink and expose the white clay below (leaving a black and white image). The image can then be colored with inks if desired. Scratchboard is regarded by many artists as one of the most difficult mediums to master as it requires excellent drawing skills and attention to fine details. The medium does not allow for many mistakes and the artist must be able to convey many different textures all with just lines or dots. Large and complex pieces can take over 100 hours to complete. Cathy also enjoys working in graphite pencil, color pencil, and pastels.

Cathy first started exhibiting her work and entering national juried shows in 2008 where her work was rewarded with several top awards. In 2008 Cathy also applied to the prestigious Society of Animal Artists for membership and was delighted to be selected as a signature member (top membership ranking) on her first try. Continuing her journey into the professional art world, so far 2009 has been good. It has included top awards at the Greeley Stampede Invitational Western Art Show receiving both the Commissioners Purchase Award and People’s Choice. Her work has also been juried into top wildlife art shows including the Woodson Museum’s "Birds in Art", Society of Animal Artists "Art and the Animal", and LSU "Animals in Art".

For a complete list of Cathy's exhibition history and awards click here.



Calendar of Exhibits where Cathy's work is Available for viewing:

Starting November 1: Society of Animal Artists 'Small Works, Big Impressions"
The Wildlife Experience Museum; Parker, COlorado

September 12-November 15: Birds in Art Exhibition
Leigh Yawkey Woodson Art Museum; Wausau, Wisconson (Artist will attend the opening weekend)

November 21-February 12: Society of Animal Artists 'Art And The Animal'
The Wildlife Experience Museum; Parker, COlorado

March 27 - June 27, 2010: Society of Animal Artists 'Art And The Animal'
Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum Art Institute, Tucson, Arizona

August 21 - October 31, 2010: Society of Animal Artists 'Art And The Animal'
A Green Acres Art Center, Cincinnati, Ohio