Art Opening: Amy Rie McGuire
Amy’s Garden – Floral Studies & Still Life Bouquets Paintings
July 16 – August 7
Opening Reception: Thursday, July 16 from 5:00 – 7:00 PM
ARTIST STATEMENT:
I have had an intimate relationship with flora my entire life. Growing, observing, drawing and painting plants and flowers has been my passion. Everything about flowers beguiles and entices me. What they do for me and I presume humanity as a whole cannot be understated. Greeting us in times of joy and sorrow with their calm presence and beauty, color and fragrance; I dare say we cannot live without them. Their grace and form has always beckoned me to paint them. Alive in my gardens, dancing on the wind, fluttering in the breeze, like ladies in pretty dresses; they whisper, “paint me!” I cannot resist.
My recent quest has been to master the handling and manipulation of the oil paint medium to achieve the delicacy, detail, and gesture flowers convey. I continue to work defining and articulating the beauty and complexities of them. My goal is to achieve the proficiency of the 17th century still life painters of the Dutch Golden Age, a tall order. In the past two years I have studied those painters and with master painter Carlo Russo, learning, emulating, and developing my own style to render flowers realistically, yet still painterly. The still life I have painted since childhood with both of my parents. It is a fabulous way to combine many blooms in one bouquet. My studies of individual flowers are a way to capture their fleeting lives and later use them in still life pieces.
I am at home in my gardens, in my studio, in a green house, or in the fields and woods among plants and flowers. I am always eager to express their beauty through my art works. My desire is to share my appreciation of flowers and bring their beauty to your world. I hope you enjoy your stroll through my garden!
ABOUT THE ARTIST:
A Litchfield native, Amy was raised in Northfield by her parents Dorcas and Calvin Sewell who fostered in her a creative spirit and a love of painting and nature. From a young age, they encouraged her to develop her talents in drawing and painting and to pursue a life dedicated to creating beauty through art. Guided by remarkable art teachers throughout her years in the Litchfield schools – elementary through high school, Amy went on to study at the following: Parsons School of Design (Illustration and Textile Design), Woodstock School of Art (Painting), The Institute of Eco Systems (Botanical Illustration), SUNY Ulster (Botanical Illustration), Fashion Institute of Technology (Textile Design), Academy of Art University (Painting), and with master painters.
Amy lives with her family and works in her gardens and studio in Woodstock, NY. Enjoy your stroll through Amy’s Garden! For more information, visit Amy’s website at amyriemcguire.com
Oliver Wolcott Library
160 South Street
Litchfield, CT 06759
2026-07-16
