Friday, February 23, 2007

Studio Visit with Molly Brose

Molly Brose was kind enough to let me visit her in her studio this morning. Molly's work will be in our upcoming show "Women's Work" along with that of four other young female artists. She works in watercolor, charcoal and China markers on paper.

My favorite part of my job is visiting artists' studios. I just love to learn about the process behind the finished products of artists whose work I admire. Not just how the work is made, but the type of environment the artist creates for him- or herself. Molly's studio is very cozy and sort of romantic - she has a wood burning stove, old photographs, a comfy chair and gorgeous red and orange walls. It's also one of the cleanest and neatest studios I've ever visited. But onto the art.
For the "Women's Work" show Molly has been working on a series of 9 paintings called "What to Keep." Each painting has a different theme about something to keep - "Keep Track," "Keep Up," "Keep in Touch," "Keep Watch," "Keep your Distance," "Keep in Mind," "Keep Faith." She starts out with an abstract watercolor background and then rubs out some of the background to add her images of people taken from old photographs and everyday items. The clear, precise drawings set against churning backgrounds give her work a sense of history - a feeling of memories, thoughts and ideas emerging from the swirl of the past.

Molly has a wonderful story behind each of her paintings that is both personal to her and has universal applications. The painting second from the left on the bottom in the above image is entitled "Keep In Mind." It depicts Molly's two grandmothers with a set of measuring spoons between the two portraits, reminding her to stay mindful of her roots. Next to it is a portrait of her grandfather, a minister, with a flock of birds surrounding him entitled "Keep Faith." Through images of her family and aspects of her life, Molly encourages her viewers to remember who they are, where they came from, what is important to them.

Molly's work will be included in the show "Women's Work: Five Distinct Points of View from Young Female Artists" at the Nevin Kelly Gallery March 14 - April 8. The opening reception will be Thursday, March 15 from 6-9 pm.

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