Adam O’Day may be best known for his colorfully unique cityscapes, especially those of Boston’s skyline. So much so that in 2016 his painting, “Transit,” won Boston’s “Portrait of a City” contest. The Mayor’s Office purchased his work and gave prints to visiting diplomats and distinguished guests as gifts. What sets his cityscapes and landscapes apart is his use of lush, thick, bold skylines, often including pastels, like pink, purple, turquoise and burnt oranges. Often the buildings are darker or more solid in color — but the streetscapes, including cars, and the horizons — are wistful, emotional, offering both a vehicle for light and warmth. “I love painting in oils,” O’Day said. “But I’ll use anything, really. Oils have that traditional feel and look that no other medium comes close to having. Oils are the gold standard in visual art and painting. For me it’s their depth and … [Read more...] about A VEHICLE FOR LIGHT & WARMTH

With the transcendent energy which exists behind the real world emerging onto her canvases, Sky Power’s paintings seem almost to be vision quests, dreaming the real world into another realm, filtering that so-called “real” world into a dream, or that space in which Crazy Horse was alleged to have lived — the dimension beyond what we see, what allegedly, “is.” Somehow what she captures in her light and color-filled abstractions is very moving. Such works as, “Passing Through,” oil and charcoal on canvas, 24” x 30”, which pictures a floating piano, an entry to crypt, a flower, what could be desert and mountains and sky, with an arroyo or wash nearby, pulse with a vital urgency of mortality. Or “Shelter,” oil and charcoal on canvas, 24” x 30”, vivifying the earth and sky colors of pink and green, with strange, almost birdlike shapes emerging from the mating of sky and earth. Or “Last … [Read more...] about TRANSCENDENT ENERGY

A drive down Bellevue Avenue in Newport conjures up Great Gatsby vibes - stately mansions, mature trees clad in verdant foliage, an abundance of natural and human wealth that culminates in the majestic Cliff Walk, a nature trail with breathtaking views of the Atlantic Ocean. One highlight of this idyllic summer destination and storied street is the Newport Art Museum. Located on three acres, the museum’s galleries are housed in two historic buildings. The galleries showcase over 600 contemporary regional, national and international artists annually. Art classes for all ages and experience levels are held in the Museum’s School studios. This June, Providence-based artist and educator Heather McMordie will be in residence at the museum, living in its studio apartment and working in a dedicated studio space at the Museum School. She is a part of the museum’s juried AiR/Newport … [Read more...] about FIELD RESEARCH AT AIR