COLORADO SPRINGS — This year a Colorado Springs local is the featured artist at the Garden of the Gods Art Festival. The honor goes to Nathan Roberts, whose unique images on canvas are made from paper rather than paint.
"I like the tactile nature of it. I like the way that it feels in my hands, and that's kind of my like test when I first get a new paper is I hold in my hands. I feel how it reacts," Roberts said.
There are thousands of pieces of paper in Roberts' studio, collected from around the world. Color, texture, and vision for the edge of a tear become his creations.
His art needs only one brush, used for adhesive.
"I like to be very fluid in my movements. So if I can't tear it, if I have to take scissors to it, it slows me down. I want to be able to rip and tear and glue pretty quickly," Roberts said.
"I think about it in relation to other papers like is it thicker? Can I use it in the foreground? Can I establish a thicker value? Is it translucent? Will it mix with another paper?" Roberts said.
He often gets comments about an evolving experience with his work.
Roberts describes observers of his art saying, "Your art looked kind of cool from afar, and I liked it, you know, so I came closer and the closer I got, the more I loved it."
A year ago he applied for his hometown art show at Garden of the Gods and got waitlisted.
"I sent them an email basically explaining, you don't understand I have to do this show. It's right near my house. It's so close. Please let me in," Roberts said.
In person, his work impressed. So much so he got a special invitation for the 2026 show.
"It was like a huge honor that they asked me to be the Featured Artist this year," Roberts said.
The show's location on Colorado Springs' Westside is where he has inspired many of his works.
"What I'm looking for is I'm looking for like a dynamic scene and there really is no more dynamic scene than like the Blue Mountains with the red buttes," Roberts said.
Roberts was told he was picked in part because of his community connection.
‘It's nice to have a local artist making local pieces for their local show,’ which, you know, I completely agree. I love that," Roberts said.
Putting his art on display is more than a show for Roberts. He loves to talk to the curious about the creative process and what makes his art unique.
The 2026 Garden of the Gods Arts Festival happens May 16 and 17 at the Rock Ledge Ranch on the southeast edge of Garden of the Gods Park.
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