Nancy Connelly – Plein Air Pastels
Weekends May 30 – July 6
Opening Reception Sunday, June 1, 4:30 to 6:30 PM, following the Grand Debut Concert of the restored McKissick Mighty Wurlitzer with Dave Wickerham at 2 PM in Lincoln Hall
My pursuit of Art comes with an internal desire to capture what I see using the colors in nature that I have an appreciation for. My approach may be called intuitive or even magical since I don’t plan to paint a particular scene. I do know this, I must feel something whether it’s a special time of day, or a sense of space or the defined edges of the landscape and trees. I’m not one to copy an image so much as to translate and pass on my reverence for time and space I’m allowing myself to sit in.
Meet the Artist at the opening wine and cheese reception in the Red Brick Gallery Upstairs Gallery on Sunday, June 1, from 4:30 to 6:30 PM, following the Grand Debut Concert celebrating the restoration of the McKissick Mighty Wurlitzer performed by Dave Wickerham at 2 PM in Lincoln Hall.
The Red Brick Gallery is located at 17 Main Street, Foxburg, PA 16036.
Weekend hours are: Fridays, 1-6 PM; Saturdays, 11 AM to 7 PM; and Sundays, 12 noon to 5 PM at
Advance Appointments outside regular hours available by reservation. For more information – Call 724-659-3153
Artist Statement
My few years at art school under the influence of the artists Emma Masley and Marie Kelly helped me to decide my direction in the pursuit of art.
I’ve worked in many types of media but it wasn’t until I took a pastel class at the Hoyt Center for the Arts from fellow artist, Kevin McLatchy, that I found the medium that works best for me. The ability to lay down color quickly and not spend time analyzing the subject but capture the scene before me, was the key to my finding my subjects which are done mostly on site.
Drawing, painting and sculpture are, to me, an absolute indulgence. They offer me the selfish permission to create.
I know of few other disciplines that allow me to partake in the appreciation of beauty. I particularly respond to the subject quickly in my use of pastels.
I have enjoyed the use of found wood and other materials in the making of the bird sculptures. I am motivated by the shapes and gestures I see in the birds I make.
When I’m painting or drawing a still-life or a landscape, the simple act of observing and laying down the color in the moment is both exhilarating and exhausting. The viewer may be able to see and sense the atmosphere, time of day or season as I experienced it in real time in the work I have made.
Its Spring in Foxburg!
Plan to enjoy the full spring day in FOXBURG on the banks of the beautiful Allegheny River – arriving early to walk or bicycle along the Allegheny or have lunch in The Allegheny Grille or Foxburg Pizza.
Or have a wine tasting or enjoy a bottle of wine on the patio of the remodeled Foxburg Wine Cellars.
Make it a weekend on the beautiful Allegheny – having a romantic overnight at The Foxburg Inn, where every room has a river view – and seating on the patio is the perfect place for reading or resting after a walk or bicycle ride.
