Downtown Mountain Home just got a little bit more vibrant!
Catherine Stotesbery, a Mountain Home artist known for her vibrant and expressive work, has recently completed a new mural on the side of Lighthouse Counseling of the Ozarks in downtown Mountain Home.
The mural, which took over 30 hours to complete across 16 days, is the latest addition to Stotesbery’s diverse portfolio of artistic endeavors and a new landmark for the growing arts scene in the Ozarks.
Stotesbery, who operates ReImagined Surfaces & Catherine Stotesbery Art, moved to Mountain Home from Southern California in 2008. The move came at a challenging time, coinciding with the economic downturn affecting many nationwide.
“It was really a scary time to move if you remember ’08,” Stotesbery recalled. “But I actually connected with a client that wanted to see what I could do.”
That client turned out to be Chris Freeman, a local businessman who commissioned Stotesbery to create a mural for his office at the airport. This initial project opened doors to larger opportunities in other parts of the country.
“I did a mural out there of him standing in front of a vintage airplane,” Stotesbery explained. “And then I did some wall finishes. That’s what I did in California – wall finishes, ceiling scapes, murals.”
Stotesbery said Freeman was impressed with her work and hired her for several more projects. These included murals for his airports in Yuma, Arizona, and Slidell, Louisiana, as well as extensive work on his condos in Cape Coral, Florida.
“We were there for two and a half months working on their penthouse, his son’s house, and their pool house,” Stotesbery said.
Stotesbery’s artistic journey began long before her move to Mountain Home. Her talent was recognized early in life by one of her teachers, setting the foundation for her future career.
“My kindergarten teacher told my mom that she really needed to encourage me in my art,” she recalled. This early encouragement led Stotesbery to explore various artistic mediums throughout her life.
In high school, Stotesbery immersed herself in art classes, with her teachers urging her to consider art school. However, life took her on a different path initially.
“I met my husband when we were 15 and 16,” Stotesbery said. “We were young, we were married young, and that kind of took my focus away from art, raising babies.”
Despite the demands of family life, Stotesbery never let go of her passion for art. She continued to take classes when she could, developing her skills in various mediums, including watercolor. Her talent in watercolor led to success in exhibits and competitions, further fueling her artistic pursuits.
Stotesbery’s career took an unexpected turn when, while working as a landscaper with her husband, a client saw some of her artwork and requested a mural. This opportunity opened her eyes to the potential of mural painting as a career.
“I didn’t know how to charge, I wasn’t going to charge,” Stotesbery admitted about her first mural job. “I did something there and she goes, ‘How much?’ And I go, ‘I have no idea.’ I gave her some random number. She wrote me a much larger check.”
This experience led Stotesbery to pursue formal training in decorative finishing techniques. She attended a faux finishing school where she learned various wall-finishing techniques, including Venetian plaster. This training, combined with her natural talent, allowed her to build a successful business in California that she maintained for 15 years before moving to Mountain Home.
In recent years, particularly during the COVID-19 pandemic, Stotesbery has returned to her passion for canvas artwork. While caring for her mother, who has dementia, Stotesbery found solace and expression in painting.
“I decided I was going to go back to my passion from long ago,” she said. “I took online classes and, you know, just painted. I think I painted 52 paintings in a year.”
Stotesbery describes her art style as “expressive bold color” and “impressionistic expression,” with a growing interest in abstract work. Her return to mural painting with the Lighthouse Counseling project has reignited her passion for large-scale works.
For the Lighthouse Counseling mural, Stotesbery employed a unique technique called the “doodle grid” to transfer her design to the wall. This method involves creating random doodles on the wall and then using them as reference points for the final image.
“It’s a way of projecting onto mural walls,” Stotesbery explained. “You could do a projector, which I’ve used, you can do the regular grid, but I found out about the doodle grid. It’s really good for somebody with ADHD like me.”
Looking to the future, Stotesbery said she is excited about upcoming projects and opportunities to share her art with the community. She will be the featured artist at the grand opening of the Creative Corner Art Center in August, where she also plans to teach classes.
“It’s kind of a vision for the community, like offering free classes once a month,” Stotesbery said, expressing her enthusiasm for the new venture and its potential impact on the local art scene.
To engage with the community and celebrate her new mural, Stotesbery is running a contest through August 31st. “I’m having a contest where if people go and take their picture in front of the mural, I’m going to do a drawing on August 31st,” she explained.
The winner will receive a mini painting of the mural, allowing them to take a piece of Stotesbery’s public art into their own homes. Stotesbery plans to add a QR code to the mural site, allowing viewers to easily access her website and learn more about her work and process.
For local residents looking to purchase art from Stotesberry, the Mountain Home artist will be featured at Rapp’s Barren Brewery’s Art Odessey in September.
For more information on Stotesberry and ReImagined Surfaces & Catherine Stotesbery Art please visit her Facebook page or at her website, which can be found here.
