Description

Dimensions: 19x25"

Medium: Chalk pastel

Artist Statement: As an artist living in Routt county for 34 years, I have drawn inspiration from the rich landscape of Routt county and the magnificent Flat Tops Wilderness. I have seen many changes, and recently embarked on a project I’ve called “Gone but not Forgotten” depicting local scenery that has changed or been developed. My pastel drawing on display here is one in that series.

I wanted to give people a glimpse of how the upper part of Pleasant Valley/The Yampa Valley looked before the dam was built to create Stagecoach Reservoir. I also wanted to draw attention to the possibility of more change coming to this particular area. Change is always a given, but I ask the question — is the kind of development proposed here sustainable in anyway whatsoever? Second homes for the exclusively wealthy? A private ski area and golf course along the shores of the lake? 

This is about the precious water resources of the Yampa Valley which inevitably affects all those downstream of us, all the way to the rapidly dwindling Colorado River and on to the Pacific Ocean.

To quote Edward Abbey — “Nothing is more vulnerable than the beautiful.”

Artist Bio: Born and raised in the UK, Jane went to art college at Portsmouth Polytechnic on the South Coast of England, where she graduated with a degree in Fine Art in 1984. Jane continued her art education with a post-graduate degree on the Mediterranean island of Cyprus, after which she returned to England and was hired by Waddington’s Games (who at that time, manufactured "Monopoly”) as a Development  Executive to develop board games. 

In 1989, with a passion to travel the world, Jane left England with a friend and spent six months traveling the States and Canada. They found their way to Steamboat Springs, Colorado in November of 1989. The plan was to work over the ski season and make enough money to move onto the next leg of the journey down in South America. However, the plan fell apart, and they stayed in Steamboat!

Jane has fallen in love with the Yampa Valley. She lived in Steamboat from 1989 until around 2000 when she moved to Oak Creek. From that point on her home became South Routt, and in 2001 

she helped establish the Mugshot coffee shop. Jane went on to buy the business in 2005 and got to meet many of the locals over the course of roughly 10 years. The Mugshot started out next door to Bonfiglio's and then moved up the street to its present location next to Lupita's Cantina.

Artist Website/Social media: https://www.instagram.com/sindell13/

Fine Print

Yay! No fine print