Kathryn Skjei was raised in Minneapolis, MN, near Lake Harriet. She moved to Montana where she received her BA of Ed and her B.F.A. from University of Montana in Missoula Mt. while raising her two sons. She earned her M.I.S. from the Creative Pulse Master’s program in Missoula MT. She moved to Las Vegas NV, in 2001 to teach. She and her husband, Stephen Oderkirk, have been residents of Kalispell, Montana since 2013.
Kathryn loves to create art in all media from watercolors, prisma colors, and glass to psyanky eggs. She is drawn to color and her sense of whimsical and fun come through her artwork. Kathryn believes that history has shown us the power of art to promote, create and destroy. That art also liberates, expresses, nurtures and provides a way to both teach and reach us as humans. Art is the ultimate tool to promote problem solving, flexibility, thinking outside the box and allows her to create something outside of and bigger than herself. The power of art is unlimited. Art is when you hear a knocking from your soul - and you answer. ~Star Richés |
Stephen was raised in the high desert north of Los Angeles, attended San Diego State University for his BA in art/printmaking and then attended Montana State University as a Graduate Teaching Assistant and received his MFA in 1973.
He then spent the next 35 years in Santa Monica, Ca. teaching at Los Angels Valley College and Flintridge Preparatory School. After reconnecting with Kathryn he retired from Flintridge Prep, moved to Henderson, NV. and taught 6 years at Coronado High School teaching ceramics. Both Stephen and Kathryn retired in June of 2017 at the end of the school year. Stephen's degree is in printmaking, which he taught for 10 years at L. A. Valley College and has shown and sold many of his prints through his rep and gallery in Santa Monice. He began painting when teaching at Prep and then moved to photography, both film and digital. Stephen and Kathyrn love to travel, Stephen has been to Europe almost once a year for the last 40 years. Most of his photos are from these journeys with the emphasis on landscapes and urban scapes, usually without people. Often the images are composed from a very low vantage point with an extreme wideangle lens. Stephen and Kathyrn love Montana and are drawing inspiration from the landscape and people they have meet since moving there in 2013. |