Stephanie Frostad
Artist Statement
zoology, n. [zoo + ology], 1. the science that deals with the classification of animals and the study of animal life; a division of biology, distinguished from botany, 2. the animals collectively (of a particular region), 3. a treatise on zoology.
In my personal Zoology I celebrate the variety of creatures that visit my home and yard. Some are quite small and ephemeral like Summer’s butterflies. Others, like the warblers, pass through in Autumn migration. The mule and whitetail deer come hungry to browse in Winter. And Spring brings the nesting birds that introduce their sweet songs and vivid colors to the landscape turning green. Their presence and activity enlivens my home. I hope to be both hospitable and reverent to them.
So I have begun this pictorial inventory, far from complete. (Indeed, it is a life’s work!) I have sought variety in how I approach these images too. Some pieces are quick studies in graphite, while others have been more elaborately rendered in paint. Throughout the process I have been attempting a new synthesis of drawing and painting in my work. On the whole it represents a form of study about my place in this land as an artist and a fellow creature. May we all enjoy this enriching beauty and diversity.