About Wendy
Hi, I'm Wendy. As the youngest child of an artist/sculptor/carpenter father and a photographer/journalist mother, the creative impulse was ingrained from the start. Architecture provided a very satisfying outlet (and a roof over my head) for many many years, for which I'm exceedingly grateful.
But Fine Art always called my name. I’m now a full time artist. I paint what makes me feel something, deep in my soul. I paint to make you feel it too.
Other Tidbits:
- I mostly use non-brush tools - silicone tools, putty knives, palette knives…. I love the way I can push the paint around and get it to tell my story.
- I make my own panels and my own frames. It gives me control (time, aesthetic...) and I just like making stuff. Plus I think it’s greener.
- I donate 10% of my gross to local food banks - the NH Food Bank and Good Shepherd in Maine. "Art feeds the soul. The body runs on food."
Education
Architecture:
Boston Architectural College - 2 years, a very very very long time ago
Pratt Institute - completed my Bachelor of Architecture, still a long time ago.
I eventually started Art Form Architecture, which I owned and ran for 25 years. It's now mostly owned and totally run by three fabulous women named Holly, Allison & Rachel. I'm "emeritus", which means I weigh in on issues of importance, and then go back to painting.
Fine Art:
I started taking workshops in 2016, seeking out the best. The artists who've had the biggest influence:
- I started with a week long workshop with Robert Chapla in Putney Vermont, and went back several times. Robert taught me some of the basic principles, but also to play.
- Then locally - Chris Volpe, Frank Bruckmann & Todd Bonita. Todd started me in oils, but sent me to Chris when he saw my leanings. Chris started me En Plein Air (painting outdoors), taught me palette knife, and got me thinking intuitively. I went to Monhegan with Frank's group many many times - plein air boot camp! I'm now back with Todd as my primary guide. His work is much tighter than mine, but he's such a good teacher that he's got me being more me.
- And Beyond - Douglas Fryer (went to his workshop five times!), Charlie Hunter, Patrick Saunders, Patrick Lee, Aimee Erickson, a little bit of Stuart Shils via zoom... Basically if I thought an artist had something I wanted to learn, off I went.
