In celebration of her life, our August Art in the Café featured artist is Eleanor Ott, August 1936 – August 2023. Eleanor’s art will be featured in Montpelier Alive’s August Art Walk on Friday, August 2 from 4 to 8 pm and will be on display at the Co-op for the entire month. 

“My journey began one day in October while I was tucking leaves around the base of my rose bush preparing for winter. Without warning a twig, perhaps a thorn, reached out and scratched my eye.   

Later, while a patch was still over my eye, almost without noticing what I was doing, I began drawing with a dark pen on large, empty sheets of paper.  

Hardly could I fathom the mystery of these images, nay, beings, as they continued to emerge, as I proceeded to draw.  

When I’d feel a spirit image appearing I’d enter a state of emptiness, breathless before the blank page. They come of their own volition opening the barrier between our disparate worlds.  

To unseen spirits I owe my well-being, to them I owe these images, whoever they are, who come from a place I know not where, and people, or rather spirit the page. 

For this reason I consider these drawings spirit images, True Spirit Beings spun from the Mystery.” 

—Eleanor Kokar Ott