Statement
My surrealistic style takes the viewer on a journey only reachable by imagination. Just as literary folktales and fables often attribute human qualities to animals and nature, I use human forms as metaphors to illustrate natural phenomena. I use familiar elements in my paintings in unexpected ways to evoke an emotional response from viewers. I try to let nature speak through artistic expression by expanding on themes such as creation, birth, our connection to the environment, as if nature were a conscious eye-witness to human activity.
People and Land of the West
My newest series, People and Land of the West, depicts the desert’s natural elements as an illustrated folktale. “Wildfire” personifies a naturally occurring wildfire as a mischievous young cowgirl, whose carelessness sets the landscape ablaze. “Her Land” portrays Mother Nature as a cowgirl watching over and protecting her precious land. This series of traditional oil paintings will continue, personifying tales of the West from desert monsoons to dust devils.
Trees of the Southwest
Beautiful, expired trees embellish the desert landscape. These gloomy abandoned trees tell a story of a colorful but extreme desert life. The colors used in these paintings express the life that these trees once had and evoke the permanent role they play in the desert.
Notes on medium and technique: Trees of the Southwest combines collaged acrylic and traditional acrylic and oil painting techniques on canvas. The collaged acrylic materials are acrylic paint that is first dried and then applied to the canvas with acrylic painting materials. The dry, petrified, yet vibrant life left in spent desert trees inspires the technique.
Short Bio
As a native of the southwestern United States Cassie grew up in a small artisanal town in Arizona known for its natural beauty and for the many artists who live in the area. She was influenced by the many artists and natural surroundings. “Since my family didn’t have a television, my mother used to take us for walks in the evenings to many galleries in the area so my siblings and I could look in the windows and admire the beautiful works. This is where my love of art began. I was amazed at the stories and feelings the artist could weave as well as create emotions for the viewer through their creativity”
She started selling work right out of high school and then earned her Bachelors of Fine Arts degree from Arizona State University graduating summa cum laude. Painting primarily in oils, she favors the human form as well as nature with the surrealistic style that blends them into one another. She often uses different media, including collage, to give more emphasis to the surrealism of the work or to interpret nature. She is passionate about the environment and likes to illustrate environmental issues to bring them awareness. She brings her surrealistic style to the southwestern paintings. Soon after getting her degree Cassie and her family and relocated to Munich, Germany. She has worked as a volunteer and taught children most who come from social or economic hardships.
Before moving to Germany, Cassie worked as the art director for a nonprofit art platform organization in San Francisco, USA. Cassie’s was in charge of identifying artists whose works fit the exhibition theme of all types organizing the event and curating exhibitions that both unified and that showcased each artist. She has worked with artists of all types from visual to music to fashion. Cassie now lives and paints in Munich, where she regularly exhibits her work and is an active member of many art associations in Munich, including Munich artists’ cooperative royally privileged 1866 and Berufsverband Bildende Künstler e.V. Cassie also sits on the Board for the Art Association Puchheim as second chair and co-runs the visual artist group including organizing and curating group exhibitions. She also advises and supports the youth platform in the Puchheim cultural association organizing and curating large group exhibitions. Cassie has recently joined the urban art scene in Munich and currently has three large public art works in and outside of Munich city.