Pastel Scapes

Jun 19 to Jul 31, 2021
Reception: Saturday, June 19, 2:00 to 4:00 PM
Following National Park Service guidelines

EXHIBIT PREVIEW VIDEO

This exhibit is supported in part by a grant from the Lowell Cultural Council, a local agency which is supported by the Mass Cultural Council, a state agency.

Pastel became fashionable during the 18th century as a method of portrait painting. This art medium consists of powdered pigment and a binder in the form of a stick. Pastel Scapes is an exhibition of work exploring subjects such as the ocean, nature, city greenspaces, rivers, and trees.

Image: "In the Orchard" by Ann Gillespie

Participating Artists:
Ann Gillespie
Ann Gillespie is passionate about landscape painting, especially painting “en plein air” which helps her observe color and light more directly and keeps her more connected to nature. “What I paint is an expression of both what I see and what I feel and are fragments of direct observation and memory,” she said.
Jeff Fioravanti
“The need to create is at times insatiable. It is embedded and the need for it to explode from within is what drives me. When I create my art, I attempt to not just render the scene but to bring an emotion, a feeling, that touches the viewer and brings to them the same experience that compelled me to create the piece, and hopefully leaves them with their own attachment to that place or a place very much like it from within their own heart and memory.”
Laurinda Phakos O’Connor
“As a pastel artist, I strive to let simplified strokes of color and line create a path into a scene and moment in time. I push myself to capture the sense I feel from the landscape as well as to create the up-close excitement of color, texture, and expression on the surface of my paper.”
Christine Bodnar
“My fascination for color and how it could change the mood and feeling of a moment in time came with my love for painting… My paintings are inspired by how light sets the drama of color, shadow, and the rhythm in a composition. I do most of my painting on the southern shores of Massachusetts, where everyday you can find a new challenge with the constant change of chromatic schemes and seasonal personalities.”
Pamela Wamala
“My art continually grows out of connecting to the natural world and developing new techniques and skills… The relationships with family, friends, collectors, mentors, fellow artists, and students has led me to craft my mission to reflect the same: fostering peace through creating, sharing and teaching art.”
Maureen Spinale
"I have a passion for painting trees and am drawn to the complexities of tangled branches and fractured light beams through the forest. Trunks twisted, bent and straight, sort of like human beings. They teach us about life; strength, fragilities, endurance, and weathering the storms.”
Christine Chisholm
“I feel centered when I am out exploring nature. I am most drawn to light, I find it fascinating and emotional. I try to convey my feelings through my paintings in an effort to hopefully connect individual viewers to the natural world.”

The Brush Art Gallery and Studios
256 Market Street, Lowell, MA 01852
(978) 459-7819

We are located in the building behind the Visitor Center on Market Street.
Parking is available in the lot at 304 Dutton St, Lowell, MA 01852 (follow signs for Visitor Center)

HOURS:
April 1 to December 31:
(Tues - Sat) 11:00 am - 4:00 pm
(Sun) 12:00 noon - 4:00 pm

January 1 to March 31:
(Wed - Sat) 11:00 am - 4:00 pm
(Sun) 12:00 noon - 4:00 pm