Artist Bio

Ava. I’ve always been told it means “lover of birds.” And so I was, and still am, and I’m not sure if my name was a prophecy and I was going to be fascinated by birds no matter what name I was given, or if what I was told influenced me, and I grew into it. Now the name guides me. Inspires me. I’m fascinated by birds. With their wing feathers especially. Some small and rounded, some long and stiff. My chickens growing up had these feathers, although not meant for flight. When one shed a “flight” feather I would keep it, always gentle, because if you separated the small fibers apart they would never join together again as perfectly as they had on the hen.

Ava Stotz is my full name, and I am a 23 year old graduate (Spring, 2024) of Colby College, in Waterville, Maine, with an undergraduate degree in Studio Art, concentrating in Printmaking. I am from Underhill, Vermont (USA), and am a printmaker, as well as an oil painter, and multimedia sculpture and installation artist. In each medium, my practice is greatly influenced by the natural world, especially forms of life linked to places I have a connection with. Printmaking is my primary medium, and I am experienced in a variety of print techniques, although collagraph and relief using linoleum/softcut are my preferred methods. In my collagraphs, I paint liquid glue in layers on mat board to create an image and texture, then print using the intaglio method. This allows me to closely explore the texture and pattern, as well as the morphology of the form I am studying.

The appreciation of the natural environment is important to me, and by capturing moments of organic life through my creative practice I hope to share this value with those who view my work.