McIlrath
About
Groveland Gallery is pleased to announce the opening of Land Shapes, an exhibit of new paintings by Barbara McIlrath. McIlrath finds her subject in the dramatic landscape of the Driftless Region of Western Wisconsin, near Lake Pepin, where she has a farm and studio. The seasonal changes in the sky, land, and water constantly inspire her. For McIlrath, the discipline of seeing deeply and the act of painting creates a spiritual, intellectual and physical connection to the land.
Her current body of work is centered on two locations: the village of Old Frontenac which sits along the Mississippi and the rural Hicks Valley which neighbors McIlrath's studio and home in Pepin. For McIlrath, the artistic process begins when she first becomes aware of a unique feature in the landscape. She then spends time lingering and wrestling with her observations. Ultimately, McIlrath comes full circle by creating the painting and revealing something new.
As McIlrath explains, "My recent paintings are like landscape puzzles of the rural valley outside my studio window. They contain shapes of prairie and nearby farm fields. I try to solve the mystery of these scenes by taking the pieces apart and putting them back together. It’s trial and error...over and over, with different compositions, different color harmonies, different scales. … The myriad of puzzles in these places will forever keep me wondering."
The artist will be present at the opening reception Saturday, March 9 from 2-5 pm. The opening reception and exhibition runs concurrently with Painting in Place by Fred Anderson. Both shows continue through April 20, 2019. For more information please call 612-377-7800 or visit www.grovelandgallery.com.