Cathy Sheeter

Biography

Cathy Sheeter grew up in a small town in Eastern Oregon, where she was immersed in a community 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 continue to be a central component 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 engraving where the artist starts with a masonite panel that is coated with smooth white clay and then topped with a thin layer of black or color ink. A sharp point is then used to scratch away the black ink and expose the white clay below, leaving a black and white image. From that point the artist may choose to leave the image black and white or can color it with transparent inks, which fill in the scratches with color.

Cathy first started exhibiting her work at an international level in 2008, and since then has continually been juried into top wildlife and western art shows across the USA and internationally. She is one of only a handful of Master Scratchboard Artists worldwide, as recognized by the International Society of Scratchboard Artists, and a signature member of the Society of Animal Artists. Her work has been featured in Southwest Art, Art of the West, and Creative Artist Yearbook (Australia) magazines, and several Northern Light books. Cathy serves as founding member and current President of International Society of Scratchboard Artists (ISSA) and is on the Board of Directors of Society of Animal Artists (SAA).

Cathy’s scratchboard works can be found in multiple museum collections, as well as private and corporate collections across the globe. Her list of awards are too numerous to be included here, but include several Best in Shows, many People’s Choice Awards, Award of Excellence through Society of Animal Artists, Best in Show Master Division with the International Society of Scratchboard Artists, and selection of her work for the promotional poster of the Greeley Stampede Invitational Western Art Show. In 2015 Cathy was selected as Artist-in-Resident at the prestigious Blauvelt Wildlife Art Museum in Oradell, NJ, where she remained Artist-in-Resident for three years. She also teaches workshops in Scratchboard several times a year, most notably at the Arizona Sonora Desert Museum Art Institute and frequently does visits with school groups and presents to various organizations.

Outside of her art, Cathy is an avid nature photographer, birder, and enjoys training and competing in dog shows with her Belgian Sheepdogs.

Artwork to be Showcased