The art of Kanella (Kandy) Otto is a creative process that begins with copper – drawing her designs into copper sheets (“repoussé” in French); applying patinas to expose the color variations of the copper; mounting the copper piece onto a stable surface; layering colors using oil glazes; emphasizing selective areas to expose copper “pop”; and finally coating with varnish to amplify colors and prevent copper oxidation.

In addition to her oil on copper repoussé pieces, Kandy finds joy working in soft pastels over an ink drawing.  She uses a special ink that creates a spontaneous and unpredictable result that makes the pastel work exciting.

Kandy’s work is animated by a desire to create pieces that keep her heart and mind focused on the Divine Artist and His Creation, inviting viewers to engage with her in these reflections while navigating our challenging world.

Kandy’s art is most influenced by her favorite books, music, and visuals (nature and artwork).  One of her favorite author’s says to think on “whatever is true, honorable, just, pure, lovely, commendable, and praiseworthy”, and Kandy believes this is the anecdote to our current world we live in.  She creates in the hope that the viewers will see the subject matter in this way.