Catherine Eaton Skinner is Back in the Bay Area for Her Latest Solo Exhibit, ‘Echo of Silence’

By Eduardo Tizoc Morales

eduardo.tizoc@gmail.com

Growing up by the shores of Lake Washington, Catherine Eaton Skinner found inspiration in nature from a young age and was emboldened to be an artist.

Since then Skinner has been given countless awards, has been published in numerous media outlets, and has had over 50 solo exhibits. Her latest solo exhibit is “Echo of Silence”, here in San Francisco’s International Art Museum of America (IAMA), Mar.10, through Apr. 22.

Skinner’s artistic roots lie here in the Bay Area as well. She took painting classes from iconic Bay Area Painters Nathan Oliveira and Frank Lobdell while studying at Stanford for her Biology Degree, as well as illustrating for the department professors. That jump-started her career spanning 20 years as a Biological Illustrator and her introduction to being a multidisciplinary artist for over 50 years. 

Being a multidisciplinary artist, Skinner uses various mediums and canvases. Her work contains uses of oil paints, oil sticks, beeswax, natural dyes, and inks among other mediums, along with a lot of encaustic incorporations. You can find her paintings on unique canvases such as bamboo scrolls, panels, and different textured papers.

When sculpting, Skinner doesn’t limit herself. She integrates magnificent metals, stones, cloths, and industrial components to form amazing sculptures that draw spectators in.

Skinner is also a proficient photographer and printmaker and embraces those skills in much of her art. She is also an author featured in various books and occasionally incorporates poetry in her craft.

Although her works vary in technique, she implies common themes all through her art. You see nature empowered, eastern philosophy, the five elements, a balance of positive and negative forces, and a lot of atmospheric energy among other similar themes in her art. 

The IAMA is open Wednesday through Sunday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. and general admission is free. Skinner will be in attendance during the open reception of her exhibit on Mar. 10, from 3 to 5 p.m. Students can meet and learn a lot from such a skilled and knowledgeable artist and writer.