From Pencil to Brush: Looking at the Artist’s Process
co-curated by Alice McGowan and David Lesako featuring drawings and paintings by Julie Love Edmonds, Shawn Fields, Kathryn Freeman, Ann Getsinger
Opening Reception
Saturday, Mar. 29, 3-5pm
Spencertown Academy Arts Center
790 State Route 203
Spencertown, NY 12165
Spencertown Academy Arts Center presents “From Pencil to Brush: Looking at the Artist’s Process,” an exhibition co-curated by Alice McGowan and David Lesako featuring drawings and paintings by Julie Love Edmonds, Shawn Fields, Kathryn Freeman, and Ann Getsinger. On Saturday, March 29 there will be an opening reception from 3:00p.m. to 5:00p.m. at the Academy and the show will remain on display through April 20. On Saturday, April 5 at 2:00pm, artists Ann Getsinger and Kathryn Freeman will talk about their work at the gallery. Gallery hours are Saturdays and Sundays from 1:00p.m. to 5:00p.m. Admission is free and the artworks are for sale, with a portion of the proceeds benefiting the Academy.
“The concept of this show occurred to me after visiting some of these artist’s studios last year. I pictured a show that took the viewer by the hand, allowing glimpses of the artist’s first tentative studies to their eventually finished work. Four remarkable artists, each with their own process, illustrate that process here with pieces of the journey,” says McGowan. “When Ann Getsinger wields a pencil, she conjures poetry based upon meticulous observation. Shawn Fields is a scientist of the visible world, which he condenses into often whimsical images that take root within our own psyches. Julie Love Edmonds composes order and geometry that sings with the colorful details of contemporary life. And Kathryn Freeman imagines pastoral interior harmonies based on her personal love of animals, both domestic and wild.”
“This show looks behind the scenes, providing viewers with a chance to learn about the materials, tools, and techniques that artists use,” adds Lesako. “This experience can either subtract from or add to the mystery of the finished work, and both outcomes are good ones.”
Based in Stockbridge, Massachusetts, Julie Love Edmonds says, “What is seen by the eye can suggest many things, whether they are spiritual, intellectual, or emotional. The integration of these non-visual concerns with painterly ones can resonate with the viewer. This has been my goal.” Her work has appeared in many regional venues, including the Berkshire Museum, Cape Cod Art Association, Kent Art Association, and the Lichtenstein Center for the Arts, as well as Spencertown Academy.
Shawn Fields received a BFA in illustration from the School of Visual Arts and an MFA in painting from New York Academy of Arts. He also studied figure drawing at the Water Street Atelier in Brooklyn and anatomy at the Arts Students League in New York City. His work has been exhibited at ArtBasel Miami, Forbes Gallery NYC, Arcadia NYC, Dowling Walsh Gallery Maine and is collected worldwide. Field lives in Mill River, Massachusetts, and prints of his work and small plein-air studies are hanging at Bon Dimanche in Great Barrington, MA.
Kathryn Freeman is a narrative painter who combines classical composition with magic realism. “My fascination with storytelling and treading the delicate balance between reality and dream is the catalyst for my work and a constant source of ideas,” she says. “I love fairy tales and mythology and exploring the subtle mysteries behind everyday existence. In doing so, I hope to illuminate the spiritual connections between humans, animals, and nature.” Freeman’s paintings and drawings have been exhibited in New York, London, Los Angeles, Boston, and Washington DC. She recently moved to Mill River, Massachusetts.
“Creating visual art is the closest I’ve ever come to having my life make any sense at all. It’s both indulgent and essential,” says Ann Getsinger. “It’s about balancing freedom and discipline in order to explore this temporary existence, to consider the meaning and sensuality of nature and my personal connection to it.” Locally, Getsinger has participated in both solo and group shows at Spencertown Academy, Berkshire Botanic Garden, Berkshire Museum, Springfield Museum, Carrie Haddad Gallery, Lauren Clark Gallery, and numerous other venues throughout the New England and Mid- Atlantic regions. She lives in New Marlborough, Massachusetts.
Founded in 1972, Spencertown Academy Arts Center is a cultural center and community resource serving Columbia County, the Berkshires, and the Capital region. Housed in a landmark 1847 Greek Revival schoolhouse, the Academy is located at 790 State Route 203 in Spencertown, New York. For more information, please see www.spencertownacademy.org.