Artist spotlight: Sissy Cutchen, “an unstill life”

By SU STELLA/for The Herald  —  Sissy Cutchen is a talented artist and an active and vocal supporter of the arts in Oakridge. If you have seen small window signs around town stating, “We are Oakridge Art Enablers,” then Sissy has been there.

Her self-appointed mission is to spread the joy of art to the world and help create an art aesthetic and an art vibe in Oakridge, engaging our community, artists, and tourists.

Her Mom was her “formal” art teacher

Although she had never studied art formally, much encouragement came from her mother, who knew Sissy was born an artist. In this appreciation, her childhood included many museum trips. Her mother would say, “What is the story the painting is trying to tell?” Her mother taught her art was the newspapers of the olden days. So, Sissy’s eye was trained at an early age.

With a bachelor’s degree in marine zoology/biology from Mills College in Oakland, California, Sissy spent countless hours drawing flora, fauna, and specimens of all types. Thus, developing her creative style which can be very Dr. Seuss (a creative take on the real world) but also sometimes representational (painting things as they are). Sissy creates bright colorful work in folk art style: fish, flowers, fowl, food, flags, and fauna. She says she only paints “f-words” in her attempt NOT to say it.

Sissy paints on everything from old windows to furniture and even pillows. Taking damaged and thrown away items, she celebrates the life of an object, the life it had, the purpose it served, and the hands and souls that created it. Through beautification, she finds these things become valuable again.

A forward and reverse painting style

The technique Sissy has developed in her 25 years as a professional artist is what she calls “forward and reverse” painting on glass. This painting technique uses both sides/surfaces of a pane of glass to create depth and perspective in an unconventional way. Her work is three-dimensional. She feels the polka dots add vibrant energy and give a pop to her work. Her work is always called “happy”. Unconventional techniques, reckless mediums, and lack of formal art training are what make Sissy’s
work “folk art.”

When Sissy is not painting, she is teaches private art classes, is works on her historic Oakridge home, or is writing her biography. Her art lessons use the STEAM-L method, which means she incorporates science, technology, engineering, art, math, and foreign languages while teaching art to children. Her students work with everything from discarded packing materials to formal art supplies like paint and clay. Sissy feels the only real art supply children need is free time to explore their imaginations.

If the Cutchen name sounds familiar, it is because Sissy is the wife of Mayor Bryan Cutchen. As a prior military family, the Cutchens have moved many times. Now, her husband Bryan is retired from the Navy, so the Cutchens are here to stay. The couple live parallel lives, with Sissy brightening the town with art and Bryan creating positive policies to help the community. We are lucky to have them here.
You can find Sissy’s art locally and online- Sissysfolkart.com or Sissysfolkart.etsy.com

Sissy’s art around Oakridge can be found at: Oakridge Postal Pharmacy; Oakridge Public Library; The Uptown Building; Artworks; Oakridge Art Council Weekend Gallery; Mane Street Coffee (July solo show); Palace Bakery on Pearl Street in Eugene.