Interview
Kelly Sooter
Kelly worked as a System’s Analyst for an international corporation before pursuing a fulltime career in fine art. Her art education included 15 years of study with 4 top European Master Artists – including 9 years under Slava Letkov - Artist Emeritus of Russia. She also studied intensively with Misha Lebedev, Sergi Terentiev, Lead Instructor at the Fedoskino School of Art in Russia. She continued her landscape training under Scott Christensen and Nancy Bush – both considered leading representational landscape artists. Kelly’s award winning large oil landscapes are collected throughout the US and are featured by Visit Utah and AATONAU!, the world’s 5th largest art blog in the World based in Japan. She travels throughout Washington State, Oregon, Idaho, Wyoming, Montana and Utah to paint in the wild. She works out of her studio in southern Utah.
What is your background and how did you start your journey in the art world?
“Most serious artists have deep artistic roots that grow and develop throughout their lives. My life is no different. I use to roll my eyes when artists said in an interview ‘it started when I was young.’ I thought it was cliché. However, I realized the truth in that statement as I looked back on my own artistic journey and I owe those artists a huge apology. The recollection of my journey started when I asked this question about a memory that popped into my mind. What five year old child site by a bookcase every day and paws through black and white photos to see landscapes in all their myriad of forms? At one point my mom put the book up out of reach. I must have complained mightily because after a few days, it was back on the bottom shelf form me to sit and enjoy. Next came favorite spots along the highway where there was tall golden grass, a small pond (with rattlesnakes no doubt) and majestic pine trees as a background. I would stay awake just long enough to see these majestic places. I even asked to sit on the left side of the care on the way home from the apple orchard so I could see the yellow moon rise over a certain field each fall. Of course, I never told a soul that these views were so intriguing to me. There was no way I was going to have others label me as ‘eccentric.’
Looking back, I realized that every one of them was a distant scene - a theme that is still reflected in most of my work today. It's what has always sit up and pay attention. Once at University, I sought out art classes to supplement my studies. However, no school offered a classic art education - just modern art where professors would leave you to figure out what to paint and how to paint it. I love good abstract - but even those require skill in composition, design and color theory. At the ripe old age of 25 I started my serious pursuit of an art education - but I knew I would have to find my own teachers and keep a studio practice without help from others. I spent fifteen years studying with a Norwegian Master. We painted over 100 good sized panels for a large church renovation after getting trained in brush control and Baroque & Rococo forms and design.
Mastering oils was also a must. This was followed by ten years of study with three Master Artists from Russia where I continued my classic European art education. Slava, Mish and Sergi drilled into me skills that tested my knowledge and application of Baroque and Rococo forms - while painting floras on hand forged steel trays from the Ural Mountains. The centuries-old techniques (perhaps dating back to 1000 BC in Asia) required four to five layers of oil to achieve luminosity and depth. I still use these techniques today, including the brushstrokes that were ancient. Sergi finished off my European studies with techniques in iconography and painting with 24ct gold, again with multiple layers of paint.
After several years of absorbing all this knowledge and skill, I began painting many subjects trying to find my true interest and taught at large art conventions. However, I felt incomplete as an artist. It all felt formulaic. The creativity was in the first fifteen minutes of design work. Then it was four layers of paint to complete the gorgeous painting. I then knew that my love for the landscape was so deep in my bones, I needed to develop it to achieve my true artistic voice. I've spent decades developing three distinct techniques to paint the landscape as I see it. The first creates the works of art you see here with four layers of oil over golden stain. Second, when I want to get ‘wild,’ I paint over extreme texture that's covered in gold paint and then washed with four layers of oil - wiping back to the gold color underneath in key areas. The third technique is distinct to my portrayal of the desert southwest in the US. I do create many distance pieces, but the desert calls for more detail in the foreground at times because that's what makes it so special. My work and vision has become more modern over time, which is how I truly see the land. How I create imagery now feels like an old friend that I spend time with every day. Those who see it comment that my imagery has deep roots in classic design and I have my teachers to thank for that. It was worth all the hours of travel and study. They were demanding and that made me into an artist who has many tools to work and play with to create beautifully unique and authentic works of art.”
What inspires you?
“l live every day with the awareness that I am constantly surrounded by beauty, whether profound or common. My daily practice of being acutely aware of my surroundings enables me to see all the shapes, color and design that is right in front of me. I get this almost intense feeling when a new discovery is made. It actually captivates me. It gets my creative juices going. When painting plein air (outdoor), I'll become super focused on a distant field and how it connects to low hills while an artist friend can be sitting next to me in front of a weed (a very beautiful weed) and create a stunning painting of it. To each his own!
Most inspirations come at the wrong time, like when I'm driving the back roads of the western US. I just pray there are no cars behind me so I can stop and snap a photo for future use. I'm also intrigued when in desolate places, such as in Southeast Idaho during the deep frigid winter. Golden grass is trying to reach above the crusted, almost pale red, snow just to survive and scrub brush leads my eye to the toned blue mountains that fade into the cold clouds above - making it impossible to know where the one ends and the other begins. It calls me to come out and explore, yet it would be very dangerous to do so. Painting rarely seen locations that take time to find and get to, say in Montana, gets my camera, brushes and sketchbooks working hard. When an Internet search says that thirty grizzly bears were seen in that exact location the month before, I paint with a sense of both excitement, fear and extreme focus to stay safe and get the color and design information needed before a huge hungry bear shows up for dinner. Early in my landscape career, I realized that I seek out painting or photography locations that are different from what other artists like or choose. I only seek locations that have the elements that draw me and that is a lot of work. It gives me the permission to pursue making great art that moves me greatly. It's what makes it authentic. For if it moves me, it will also move the person who will seek to collect it.”
What themes do you pursue? Is there an underlying message in your work?
“I believe every artist creates imagery from their unique life experiences, as they have profound impact on us. As stated by Rick Ruben, the celebrated multi-Grammy Award winning producer in the US, our art is a literal diary of what is happening in our lives at that moment. I realized the truth in that during a serious years-long life challenge. You can’t help but come out the other side without profound changes in perspective, including imagery that come out from my brushes. These events forged me into the person and artist I am today. In 2019, my art was really taking off. Paintings were selling quickly, prices were rising, I was getting interviews and even recognized by my state's top tourism agency who wanted to feature my very first desert paintings on their web site and in publications. I was horrified at first as I knew future paintings would be more practiced and refined, but saying ‘yes’ led to many more sales from all over the country. I had even won Best of Show in a national Call to Artists on the East Coast. Then I was diagnosed with an aggressive breast cancer that was triggered by my DNA.
It took more than four years of weekly treatment and two more years of clawing back my strength, but it molded me into an artist who sees both life and the landscape even deeper. Now, I can't look at a rugged mesa or granite snow-capped peak without realizing that its beauty was forged under the harshest of conditions - just I had been. At least I didn't have to experience the extreme heat and cold. Most of my work has some sort of pathway that leads your eye into the background. I, and many who collect my work, see these varied pathways as a reflection of our personal life journeys. Some paths are beautiful calm waters, and others are desert or dirt-filled with rocks or uneven surfaces. Isn't that what our paths in life are like? Plus, the ground around the path can be lush soft green grass and others are dry red soil. Regardless what a path or land looks like or reflects, it has it's own deep beauty that's been forged with courage. My personal struggle to live and heal looked more like the desert than the green field most of the time, but I quickly realized that life creates beauty in us during every phase. The brilliant and even stormy skies in the horizon I painted after showed what I am aiming for. It's what the journey is all about. Even seeing storms clearing in the distance, it's where I want to be and what I want to experience. Every day during treatment, I got through with clear goals of painting in the wilds of Montana and a boatload of prayer. Once back in the studio I found a profound focus in my imagery. Collectors describe it as portraying hope, joy, courage and abject beauty tat's carved by life itself. In fact, many collectors say they see their own life journey in every brushstroke.”
How would you describe your work?
“My work has been called ‘crossover’ in the art world. I have one foot firmly planted in classic European composition, design and color theory, and the other foot planted in contemporary and modern genres. It's been said my work is a unique genre where the old meets new. At one gallery, my collectors often told the gallerist that they wanted to purchase modern art but couldn't find the right piece because they couldn't relate to it. Then they would turn the corner and see my work. They could relate to my imagery. Most purchased on the spot - or over the Internet, as it had the fresh look and feel of modern yet it was well-thought out design at it's core. I would describe myself as as classically trained and collectors recognize it. It shows in my imagery. I believe that the artists of long ago understood what science has confirmed today, that our minds find certain design elements more pleasing that others. It's how we’re wired - like seeing a grouping of three candles rather than two. It just feels right. The Russian Masters taught me how to embed Baroque design throughout a floral painting and how to tweak one small rose bud 15-20 degrees to keep the eye from seeing the overall design. Yet it still ‘felt right.’ This is what makes my imagery desirable and appropriate for display in a variety of settings. What still astounds me is how a painting depicting a deep storm can be called ‘calming.’ They are right. I seek to communicate that you can have peace and joy, even in the midst of challenging events.”
Which artists influence you most?
“The most influential artist in my life is Whistler. He strove to not leave marks on the canvas with his brush. He wanted his paint to look like it was breathed onto the surface - with minimal clues that he was there at its creation. He was fearless in his time, forging a new genre that was less realistic and even simpler in design and use of few shapes. I consider many of his works to be minimalist. Art critics in his day were harsh when evaluating his work - even taking him to court for charging so much money for so little realistic detail. Whistler correctly answered that his works were the product of decades of painting. I have felt that acutely from other artists. They want me to paint works that look like theirs or I need to at least have some rocks, brush, trees, etc. that define what a landscape painting needs to include. Like Whistler, I too have seen that a carefully selected use of elements and color yields imager that calls to be seen. There's a power and vibrancy that I'm drawn to portray, just like Whistler. My imagery has also been highly influenced by Maynard Dixon, who was fearless in creating art in the midst of personal adversity. His use of bold color, semi-minimalist design (modern for his time) and his relentless need to paint the landscape as he saw it, resonated with me. He never cared what other artists thought of his work. Like Dixon, I paint the desert of Utah or the Mountains of Montana the way I actually see them, filled with more chroma than they present live in front of me. Both of these artists also taught me my most treasured skill - to forge my own unique voice regardless of what other artists say. Make no mistake, that path is a lonely one. But I refuse to paint by other's rules and expectations. They do beautiful work, yet it tends not to stand apart from others work. I have chosen a different path.”
“My work has been called ‘crossover’ in the art world. I have one foot firmly planted in classic European composition, design and color theory, and the other foot planted in contemporary and modern genres.”
What is your creative process like?
“Every serious artist has spent years, if not decades, developing their own unique creative process. It forms the very foundation of their artistic voice and highly unique style. My serious training with six Master artists (two of them were American) and serious studio time, brought forth my own strong artistic voice and processes that I needed to create the imagery that was so important to me. Each painting is a result of a very detailed process. Every skill I learned form the masters, no matter the subject matter, is used throughout each painting. In my studies with Slava Letkov, he would demonstrate certain key brushstrokes or forms using white paint on a black surface. I had to go back to my table and replicate (free-hand) the same strokes. White on black left me nowhere to hide mistakes when he came around to evaluate my work. Other masters would wait for me to refill my coffee so they could alter my designs with a new object (like a bug - and I hate bugs alive or painted) that I had to work into the composition using time-honored rules. They would also throw a tube of paint at me with a foreign color that I had to work into the palette they told me to use. Of course they always had a smile or smirk on their face with I realized my new assignment. It was hard, but it game me the skills I need to create today.
In my world, I travel throughout the west coast of the United States plein air painting in areas of great beauty and in common places that have hidden beauty that's passed by every day. Some painting adventures have included being chased twice by an 800 pound hog or painting quickly in Montana in the middle is active grizzly country. Thankfully on that trip the only wildlife that visited me were cattle, horses and a large pack of goats. I was hoping that a bear would think of them as being tastier than me and leave me alone. Since my work never faithfully depicts a certain location, I pour through thousands of photos I've taken to find shapes and color combinations that I'm drawn to. Once I put different elements together, I will often create a series of works that let me explore design and color. Once my final design is transferred onto the large oil-primed cans, I stain it with a transparent yellow-gold that is no longer mined in Africa or sold as an oil pint. I own every last tube! Then I place four layers of semi-transparent oil point (most of which is stone ground with high pigment and no filler) - rubbing off parts to reveal the warm glow underneath. It reminds me that beauty is revealed in our own live when we experience life challenges. Then three more layers of paint removal (called sgraffito) are applied after the paint has dried enough for about a week. I usually work on three or four paintings at a time to keep my brushes moving.
I always wait a day to work on a different painting so my vision for one doesn't make it's way into the other. By the way, I learned about sgraffito from the head art restorer at the National Gallery of Art in Washington DC. I had a separate question I needed advice on and the switchboard said I needed to talk to the head restorer - especially since he was in the basement all day with no one to talk to. She was right, we talked for almost two hours about many technical things I was attempting to do and he recommended a particular painting medium and encouraged me to develop my own application of sgraffito used by master artists for centuries. I'm forever grateful for his gracious advise and yes, he was glad to have had someone to talk with. Once dry, I make final small adjustments and put on a coat of medium - that gives a beautiful finish. My frames are custom made in the state of Tennessee. My Large works look the most beautiful next to the espresso finish as it's both durable and refined and blends beautifully into any environment.”
What is an artist’s role in society and how do you see that evolving?
“Many artists create imagery that brings notice to a social issue or endeavor. That's a worthy calling. However, I create imagery that has a distinctly opposite purpose. In fact, each work of art I create is done from a keen interest my subject matter that moves me - where form and color represents a deep expression of m own life journey. In fact, I deliberately choose to never create for an audience or a particular market. I had gallery ask me to do this and I left it within a few months. Painting works for an audience or to chase a fad would take the very life out of my work. It's why I so rarely do commission work. It's impossible for me to form a vision of the work if a client is directing design or element choices. My work has to be authentically created from start to finish - full stop. However, this is my own personal set of guidelines that let me create the best art I am capable of. Others who do address societal issues create their best work in that genre and I applaud them for it. Art, by its very existence will by definition, help meet the needs of society as everyone needs beauty in their lives - and beauty can take on a multitude of forms, materials and color. In my part of the art world, I seek to reach those who either enjoy or need a work of art that brings joy, peace and perspective. Many who collect my work have busy lives where a lively work of art brings joy and a bit of calmness to their daily lives. Others need my work because they've been through an impactful life event. To them I seek to show that the landscape around us becomes and exquisite reminder of courage and beauty that was forged in the fire.”
Have you had any noteworthy exhibitions you'd like to share?
“My work has been exhibited in numerous shows over the past 30 years. My most memorable one was at a prestigious gallery on the West Coast. To have my work exhibited alongside regionally and nationally known artists was not only a lot of fun, but a recognition that my work had reached a high level of artistry, quality and artistic vision that was equal to the best.”
