March: Allison Miller, Marilyn Fox, Cathy Hozack, and Megan Coonelly
Allison Miller
Give a brief description of your upcoming show. And what might have inspired it.
This group of paintings is more introspective than previous works shown at Red Raven. Though it stems from the same simplicity of first-hand experiences, the description is more intimate. Instead of the paintings being just about the subject matter, they’re really melancholic self-portraits of sorts. In other words, the subject is simply a vehicle to describe myself during this period of my life.
How have you expanded existing themes/ideas for which you are best known/or if this body of work is a great deviation from your norm, what inspired this new approach?
Even though I don’t cling to certain subjects/themes, I think my work is pretty consistent in the way that it is handled; it’s never “precious” and clean, but usually aggressive. For the most part, I don’t have some grandiose idea or theme for subject matter, but each group of work has a specific and cohesive feel. I guess a superficial difference would be that these paintings are more subdued compared to my other paintings shown at Red Raven. They are not as loud in color and action, but again, they are handled the same way.
Stylistically and/or technically, what do you hope collectors notice in your new work?
I hope that my struggle in painting shows in the end product… the process of the infinite search to find what I’m trying to portray. I don’t have an exact plan when I paint. There is no part of the painting that I’m ever completely committed to at any point. I like to keep everything loose and open to change throughout the entire process of painting. Building a painting around a “precious” area can compromise the entire painting, so I try not to do that. I also hope that some type of aggression is obvious in my marks and that it is more of an emotional/visceral experience as opposed to a technical/formulaic one.
Marilyn Fox
Give a brief description of your upcoming show. And what might have inspired it.
My current body of work is based on my investigations and study of Post Impressionist/Modern French painters, specifically Pierre Bonnard. I like intensified colors; subject matter ranges from still lifes, to interiors and landscapes. I always work in oils, as I find the colors denser and more malleable than other media. My work is simply about making beautiful images, sometimes including perplexing juxtapositions, and lots of texture on texture and pattern on pattern.
How have you expanded existing themes/ideas for which you are best known/or if this body of work is a great deviation from your norm, what inspired this new approach?
This body of work is not a deviation on themes or ideas, but rather more intensely focused then previous paintings of still life or landscape. The approach may not be new, but rather more mature, more confident than previously. I’m into my sixth decade, and have been painting for more than 40 years. I feel freer than ever before to be aggressive, spontaneous, deliberate in my approach. Perhaps this is a good thing about getting older.
Stylistically and/or technically, what do you hope collectors notice in your new work?
There is a centuries old tradition in painting landscapes, still life and interiors. I feel part of the lineage of those painters who have gone before me, who are great teachers, great rule breakers, great influences. I do not feel the need to break rules,, except those that are self imposed on what a painting should be. I love broad colors, visible brush strokes, and seeing the hand of the artist in paintings. If collectors of my art find joy in the paintings (which may sound provincial, but I am thrilled by it), I have achieved the highest praise. To have a collector live with a work of art, to have that art in your home or office where it becomes part of your life is the best compliment an artist can attain.
Megan Coonelly
Give a brief description of your upcoming show. And what might have inspired it.
The inspiration for this body of work comes from an inspiration of the feminine. The scale of these works is for the purpose of a small memory in reflection. Lipsticks, shoes and perfume bottles are some of the first objects little girl yearn to play with and creative the narrative of “grown up.” The colors are inspired by the California pop artists (Wayne Thiebaud) of the 1970s depicting a high saturation of sugary pigments.
How have you expanded existing themes/ideas for which you are best known/or if this body of work is a great deviation from your norm, what inspired this new approach?
The ideas continue to expand in color and scale. While this work is primary just the mini paintings, the greater these can be seen reflected in the body of work as a whole.
Stylistically and/or technically, what do you hope collectors notice in your new work?
I want my collectors to enjoy the color and the paint application. I want them to enjoy the painting as much as I have enjoyed painting it. I hope the fun emulates from the canvas and inspires them to revisit their youth.
Cathy Hozack
Cathy’s paintings form a record of her memory, experience, and the way she perceives the world. They are a search for harmony between conflicting elements. Red sunsets can be soothing or angry, behind tranquil landscapes or spiky skylines. Since graduating from the Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Arts in 2006, her creative process has become more fluid and abstract, less rigid in planning and in the final results.
Through abstract landscapes, she is able to bring to life the distinctive way she sees her surroundings: showing a balance in the battle between cityscapes and the power of nature. Structures are grounded or silhouetted by their surroundings, and she points up the contrasts and balances between them. Storms change tides, waves, beaches, and skies. Trees can soften buildings, even stark high-rises.
In addition to her Philadelphia and NYC landscapes, she uses watercolor studies from her visits to Ireland, Spain, Italy, Bermuda, and Colorado, and most recently Alaska. Different components of these studies are pulled together and combined on small to large canvases. Her paintings are translations of her first impressions. She makes sense of the world’s contradictions, using images and memories to create a permanent record of her emotions and experiences.