Governor's Gallery

Debby Cotter Kaspari
An Eye on the Wild:
Paintings & Drawings from Nature

June 5 thru July 28, 2006

While John James Audubon journeyed throughout the United States capturing images of avifauna or bird species previously unseen by most of the general public, Oklahoman Debby Cotter Kaspari either travels into the depths of tropical abysses or merely peers out her studio window in Norman in order to beautifully document the natural world.No matter which intrepid explorer audiences view, we are swept away to mystical lands and introduced to exceptional creatures.

Kaspari’s unfaltering devotion with the tropics began during a trip to the Caribbean islands of Trinidad and Tobago. Trips to Central America were to follow and in 2005, Kaspari spent a month hiking through the rainforest on Panama’s Barro Colorado Island. The expedition yielded the exhibit An Eye on the Wild: Paintings and Drawings from Nature. Kaspari relishes in the delight of discovering a fluttering bird or jovial primate amidst the chaotic ambiance of the jungle.

“The green tangle of the tropics is a major character in my work. I love to visually tumble my audience through spaces where complex chaos fills the gaps. Even when the completed work is a detailed acrylic on board, the vitality of the life sketches always peek through,” said Kaspari regarding her artwork. “The subjects rendered in brilliant color emerge from the exposed outlines of the background vines and leaves. They show both the thrill of discovery and the dissonance of a natural world in the process of dissolving at the edges.”

Kaspari earned a degree from the California College of Arts and Crafts and began a career as a freelance illustrator and designer. Kaspari has been exhibiting throughout the country since the mid-eighties. Her work has been published in Bird Watcher’s Digest as well as featured in publications for the Audubon Society and the Sierra Club. Kaspari is a member of the Society of Animal Artists and the Guild of Natural Science Illustrators, two organizations dedicated to excellence in the portrayal of animals.

Sponsored by the Oklahoma Arts Council. For more information contact Scott Cowan or Karen Sharp at 405.521.2931 or scott@arts.ok.gov

The Governor's Gallery is located on the 2nd floor of the State Capitol outside the Blue Room and is open Monday through Friday from 8:30-5:00.

Past Governor's Gallery Exhibits