Artist Spotlight: Mallory Rich

Why I love Vermont's Back Roads, 12" x 16", oil

"I try to paint the small, everyday moments in the landscape which pass not quite unnoticed in our busy day . . . the gray barn sitting still in the early morning fog . . . the way the sunlight moves over a swath of field. I try to catch some of those elusive moments for myself and viewers of my work. I often use pastels because they are a little magical -- as though mood was hand rolled in with the pigment."   ~Mallory Rich

Vermont artist, Mallory Bratton Rich works in both oil and pastel, showcasing the landscape around her native area in the north east and along the North Carolina coast.  An active member of the Vermont Pastel Society and painting instructor, along with being a full time artist, Mallory began her art career late in life, with the encouragement of artist husband, Harry A. Rich.  She worked in pastels for years before starting in on oils, admiring the impasto work she had seen.  With a background strong in training from Albert Handell, Gil Perry, Stuart Shils and Virginia McNeice, Mallory has come into her own winning several awards including a finalist position in American Artist's 30th Annual National Competition.

Old Barn in Shushan, 10" x 16", oil

Mallory paints the atmosphere, the light, and the little changes in the land around her that she loves, both southern Vermont and coastal Maine.  "I am after [painting] feeling rather than an exact representation of the landscape, and I am trying to develop brush techniques that convey that," she says.  The soft luminescence and blending she gets in her work come partly with the quality of brushes she is using, preferably synthetic filberts.  She explains, "A good brush is a joy to work with, and I love the ritual of washing them out at night.  I notice I go to a half-dozen brushes every day, and totally ignore the inexpensive brush sets I bought when I was just starting out."  

Island Marsh, 20" x 20", oil

Mallory will be teaching a workshop at the Southern Vermont Arts Center in August on landscape painting in pastels, which you can sign up for on this website.  You can also see more of Mallory's work in person this coming year as she has solo shows and a pastel show in Sandgate this summer.  To find out more, follow her website: www.malloryrich.com.  She is represented by Gallery Wright in Wilmington, Vermont, by the Atchison Gallery in Birmingham, Alabama and online by Manhattan Arts International, with an interview on that site as well here: Interview-with-artist-mallory-rich.

Keep Painting,
Karyn

For more brush information, check out the Dynasty Brush website.