MTC ART GALLERY

Artist’s Statement

In my recent work, I explore the dimensionality — emotional, perceptive and symbolic — of vanishing species and traditions. Wildlife and people are reverently depicted, using maps in unique ways to convey the importance of place. These paintings signal the fundamental dichotomy of the beauty and value of wildlife and the longing for resolution of that which is threatening them.

My paintings reflect a balance between the reality of representational shapes and forms juxtaposed with abstract backgrounds. The addition of maps weaves a distinctive tapestry that adds complexity and texture.

My affection for wildlife often reveals, at the same time, the violence and the tenderness of our times. I search for new ways to express the singularity and the diversity of our fragile world.

About the Artist

Sklar’s recent body of “Vanishing Species” works builds on her ongoing exploration of landscapes and wildlife, mainly using watercolors. She took up art seriously only 11 years ago, attending workshops throughout the Bay Area and training with a private watercolor master in Madrid. She draws inspiration from her extensive travels to such wildlife-rich places as Peru, the Galapagos (Ecuador) and most recently, Namibia in Southern Africa. An avid birdwatcher, Sklar often has to go no farther than the Bay Area’s own backyard — its Bay and many preserves and natural areas — to find material for her paintings.

Sklar’s works are in private collections across the country and in Europe. She balances her art career with a career as a consultant for community organizations, specializing in project management, facilitation, collaboration and public relations. She has lived in the Dimond District of Oakland for 25 years with her husband of 36 years and their two sons (now grown). Sklar paints in her home studio, although many of her works start out as plein-air studies.