Meet the artist, Kellyann Monaghan, and enjoy snacks and discussion about her new work.

"I use landscapes and urban landscapes as a journey and stage for the drama of light, air and movement. I attempt to see past the structured architecture, bridge and bodies of water into the otherworldly qualities of the landscape. I am intrigued by the way light plays on architecture and water, energizing and describing form. There is a mystery in the dynamics of light and atmosphere in contrast to the architectural structures.

In this current work I have taken inspiration from the history of painting the Hudson River area. These new paintings depict the expansive and mysterious views surrounding the Hudson River, including the George Washington Bridge areas and up leading up to the town of Piermont. There is emptiness and solitude in the spaces I paint; yet they have a quality of human presence through the atmosphere and illumination.

I have exaggerated and edited qualities from the river into dramatic compositions. I am also fascinated by the landscape’s night sky, which reflects the ever-present human interjection of light pollution into the river. The saturated and artificial light reflecting from the town of Piermont at night into the river presents surprising beauty.

My aim is to maintain an element of spontaneity and directness in the paint and in print. A fluid and spontaneous quality in the every paint stroke is very important to me. I often work all prima and often plein air. I edit, emphasize and exaggerate structural forms from life observation. The process allows for idiosyncratic and unexpected painterly qualities to occur.

The nuances of light, atmosphere, water and architecture generate a constant awe, nostalgia and surprise. At times the awe is when you are hoping to see it and other moments it is a surprise in unexpected places. The painting process is not just an analytical process for me, but is a revelation in every visual moment."