In the Midst of Nature - Nancy Connelly Plein Air Pastels & Sculptures
- Editor
- May 24
- 2 min read
An internal desire to capture what she sees in the light of a scene and the colors of nature is what pastel artist Nancy Connelly calls her “intuitive or even magical approach.” Working from her “feeling” and without a plan, Connelly creates her pastels plein air – in the midst of nature - inspired by a “special time of the day, a sense of space or the defined edges of the landscape and trees.” Connelly says she doesn’t copy an image “so much as to translate and pass on her reverence for time and space I’m allowing myself to sit in.”
An ideal summer exhibit on the beautiful Allegheny in Foxburg, the exhibit will bring the richness and immediacy of nature indoors to the Red Brick Gallery in Connelly’s exhibit, “Plein Air Pastels and Sculptures” that runs weekends from Friday, May 30 to Sunday, July 6, 17 Main Street, Foxburg, PA 16036.
You can meet the Artist at the exhibit opening and wine and cheese reception on Sunday, June 1 from 4:30 to 6:30 PM following the Grand Debut concert on the newly restored Mighty McKissick Wurlitzer performed by the internationally acclaimed Dave Wickerham at 2 PM in Lincoln Hall. Tickets $25, ARCA Members $20, Students $5. Call to reserve: 724-659-3153
Nancy Connelly described the artistic invigoration she experiences working with pastels in nature: “When I’m painting or drawing a still-life or a landscape, the simple act of observing and laying down the color in the moment is both exhilarating and exhausting. The viewer may be able to see and sense the atmosphere, time of day or season as I experienced it in real time in the work I have made.”
It was Nancy’s study in art school under the influence of artists Emma Masley and Marie Kelly that helped her to decide her direction in the pursuit of art. She had worked in many types of media, but it wasn’t until she took a pastel class at the Hoyt Center for the Arts from fellow artist, Kevin McLatchy, that she found the medium that works best for her.
Connelly said, “The ability to lay down color quickly and not spend time analyzing the subject but capturing the scene before me, was the key to my finding my subjects which are done mostly on site. Drawing, painting and sculpture are, to me, an absolute indulgence. They offer me the selfish permission to create. I know of few other disciplines that allow me to partake in the appreciation of beauty. I particularly respond to the subject quickly in my use of pastels.”
Found wood sculptures of Connelly’s also will be featured in the exhibit – including birds and a bear sculpture. She said, “I enjoy the use of found wood and other materials in the making of bird sculptures. I am motivated by the shapes and gestures I see in the birds I make.”
Red Brick Gallery is open weekends Fridays, 1-6 PM; Saturdays, 11 AM to 7 PM; and Sundays, 12 noon to 5 PM. Also, advance appointments outside regular hours are available by reservation. For more information – Call 724-659-3153.
