OUR ARTISTS
Each of the Shorehouse Hotel rooms features an artist to adorn the walls and fill the space with their energy. The names of the Shorehouse Hotel rooms and their content are a nod to Buena Vista’s history and river culture.
Darcie Smith — Throne Room
-
Colorado native, Darcie Smith, resides in Buena Vista where she finds daily inspiration from the surrounding 14,000 ft peaks, alpine desert ecosystem, and rambling Arkansas River. An art history major and outdoor enthusiast, her art reflects her connection to nature and passion for travel forged by life in Colorado and nearly twenty years of experience working in the outdoor and travel industry.
-
With reverence and stewardship, her art evokes the power of memory, story, and the vibrant ripples of personal interpretation which influence our connection with nature. Our journeys become bigger with every retelling. Moody colors and composition anchored in the perspective of the wanderer connect emotionally with romantic exploration and recollection of epic adventures.
Brynn Ronning — Layover Day
-
My name is Brynn. My family and artist name is Ronning, which translates to a clearing in the woods in Norwegian. My married name is Sandoval, which also translates to a clearing in woods, which I am just so fascinated by.
I live in Buena Vista, Colorado with my husband Eddie and our two kids, Tala and Sy. Eddie and I have a family business called The Asian Palate, a Thai and sushi restaurant, catering and special events business that has been in our town since 2008. I am a painter and advocate for Community Arts.
I sit on a rock in the middle of Cottonwood Creek and feel the warmth from the sun. I watch the water rush around me and know that Autumn is coming. My artist spirit feels at home in the mountains.
-
I’m so thrilled to accept the invitation to present original art for the Layover Day room at The Shorehouse Hotel in Buena Vista. A layover day on the river is a day of rest and play. It’s space to just be in that deep wilderness. To marvel at canyon walls, paint the sweet faces of little people, taste food from a river kitchen that tastes better than ever, get to know a friend a little better, maybe even catch the reflection of the stars as they sparkle downriver.
My artwork is homegrown. Which, to me, means I learn and create from a place of deep respect for the place in which I live and adventure. I see the bright and playful backyard cosmos for their beauty, I make brushstrokes that snake like the Arkansas River, I ponder yucca blossoms in the moonlight and I am silenced by a campfire that glows so brightly it speaks of the stars.
I consider this invitation to paint a kindness. A kindness that The Shorehouse Hotel and CKS recognizes my gifts. And a kindness that I return, as I celebrate their vision and applaud their success. It’s my favorite kind of collaboration.
“I have chosen four women artists from Chaffee County who inspire me in their personal lives, their approach to life, and their passions. Each room is designed to mimic the artist’s style.”
Jennie Noreen Omasta — Magpie Room
-
“Screen printing lends a unique and colorful energy to a figure. Using a reduction printing method, I bring forms to life layer by layer on paper. I draw my inspiration from the wilderness and the creatures that inhabit the spaces that I recreate in. Through my work, I invite my audience to observe stunning patterns found in nature and to reflect on our interactions with the wild. Perhaps if we take time to find beauty in glimpses of the natural world, we can foster a greater appreciation for the web of ever-changing ecosystems that we ourselves are a large part of!”
-
Jennie has spent most of her life in the mountains of Colorado. She studied printmaking at the University of Puget Sound, and began silkscreen printing in 2010. She loves to work with her hands and enjoys the laborious process that printmaking demands.
Jennie traveled to art festivals for about five years before taking over ownership of Rock Run Gallery in Buena Vista in October of 2021. When she’s not at the gallery or making art, she is probably on the river fishing, surfing, boating, or in the mountains skiing, snowmobiling, or hiking with her pup, Tarpon! Inspired by wild creatures and open spaces, she is constantly producing new work that brings the natural world to you.
-
Jennie's limited-edition silkscreen prints are typically created using a single screen. She works in a non-traditional technique - her designs are all created meticulously by hand by "painting" directly on the screen in the negative space to create a stencil.
What is left behind in the positive space is then printed with ink through the screen onto paper. Each color must be printed separately and is layered on top of the previous one. She will block off more and more of the same screen between each color run, adding details as she goes along. This is called a reduction printing method. Because each design is created only once right on the screen itself and then altered after each layer, these prints are limited-editions and can never be duplicated.
Jennie usually makes about 10-20 prints in each edition that are as close to identical as possible, making each one a rare, original work of art.
Lindsay Sutton-Stephens — Daisy Chain
-
Salida - Colorado based Contemporary Folk Artist, Lindsay Sutton-Stephens, has been creating “other art” in the Arkansas River Valley for the last 18 years. Originating from the Southeast, LSS draws inspiration from the color and singularity of her roots with the uniqueness of southern Colorado.
Sutton-Stephens has been a resident of downtown Salida for 18 years. Apart from creating art, she loves spending time in the valley with her husband and two children. In addition to being a local real estate agent, she also works in event production.
-
LSS’ mission is to create art that makes you smile. This art should not be taken too seriously, after-all, “this ain’t fine art, honey.” It is created in optimism, gratitude and a lot of levity for the world we live in.
