March 1 to 31 in the Sigel Gallery at Falmouth Art Center
We are three women who have separately come to a season in our lives where making art is no longer a matter of wanting to but of needing to. This urgency came from our needing to find our authentic voices and have them heard.
Meredith Howard’s Artist Statement: A couple of years ago I made a resolute decision to pursue my art, to become a working artist. I had always thought I’d do this but never got down to it and I certainly didn’t have a vision for it. Today I do and I’m thrilled by it. The work I’m presenting in this show is a cross section of the different directions I’ve gone in trying to find my authentic voice. I welcome you to weigh in on which one I should singularly pursue.
Oil 12×20
About Meredith: Meredith Howard grew up in a family surrounded by art. Her mother was a commercial artist and award-winning watercolorist with the New England Watercolor Society. Meredith attended The Art Institute of Boston, but it was the 1960s and she got caught up in the current of the time becoming alcoholic and drug addicted. By the grace of God, Meredith got clean and sober at age 38, having lost a formative part of her life. Needing to earn a living, she attended the Culinary Institute of America to become a Chef. After graduating, Meredith opened a catering and wedding cake business as well as becoming private Chef to Senator Edward M. Kennedy at the Kennedy compound in Hyannisport. Life was good, but Meredith yearned to make art again. After retirement from cooking a decision was made to pursue it seriously. Her goal is to become an established working artist.
Brook Howard-Keane’s artist statement: Creativity has been an integral part of my life. My art is inspired by my Mother, who was a fashion illustrator, greeting card illustrator, watercolorist and member of the New England Watercolor Society. I started painting in 2016 and have immersed myself in the development of paintings that convey the nostalgia and my love for the area where I grew up in West Falmouth. The beach, the ocean and my love for nature continue to inspire me. I feel that my work has increased my ability to see the beauty and the colors of the world around me and I hope the viewer will be able to see this as well.
About Brook: Brook was born and raised in West Falmouth and currently lives in Marshfield. Her first experience as an artist came just after she retired in 2016 following a 47-year career in nursing. Brook then decided to pursue a lifelong ambition to see if she possessed any degree of her Mother’s artistic talent.
Brook is a juried artist in Fine Art at the Cape Cod Art Association. She has studied with Carole Raymond, Diane Panarelli, Anthony Vista and Dan Hanagan.
Affiliations: Plymouth Center for the Arts, Falmouth Art Center, Cape Cod Art Association, Scituate Art Association, Sandwich Art Alliance, Duxbury Art Association.
Karen Kelley’s Artist’s Statement: My main focus since 2016 has been on the healing art of past loved ones and pets. I have currently switched gears beginning an abstract phase reflecting my love of mid-century modern art and architecture. In this body of work I have used shapes, glazes and tones to appeal to the mid-century enthusiast. My objective has been to bring warmth and subtleness to hard simple lines.
About Karen: Sixth generation Nantucket native, Karen Kelley had a very unique childhood. Learning to sew, cook and craft was a normal lifestyle for Islanders. Karen excelled in sewing and the arts, receiving Nantucket High school’s first ever excellence award in Home Economics. A stay at home Mom, she started a successful custom interior treatment business which included Bill Belichick’s estate. After retiring her sewing company she turned to brush and canvas. “I like to take the ordinary and give it new life.”
