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Installation View, 2021 MFA Painting Thesis Exhibition, Stone Gallery, Boston, MA, photograph by Julia Featheringill

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Installation View, 2021 MFA Painting Thesis Exhibition, Stone Gallery, Boston, MA, photograph by Julia Featheringill

Accompanying text:

This past year forced a heightened awareness of our surroundings. My painting practice grew out of new sensations and responded to the rest and rehabilitation that grew from a global recalibration. I use a dreamy and sun-soaked palette, preserving the gesture of the paintbrush as if to freeze a whisper. I am constantly observing my environment, int the pursuit of translating daily observations in a meaningful and compelling way.

Recently, my attention has shifted to the natural world. In particular, I’ve been responding to a shrub around the corner from my apartment. In October, I noticed her covered in early autumn snow. The next day, she was deflated, but still prickly, like a sleeping spider. A lot was in flux, but I now had something stable to observe: this shrub and her journey through the winter. I knew I had to paint her; and not as an object or a plant, but as a relationship, an idea, a feeling, a time.

Untitled, 48x24 inches, oil on panel, 2021, photograph by Julia Featheringill

(From left to right) January 13th, December 19th, December 16th, November 12th, November 6th, all 5x7 inches, oil on panel, 2021, photograph by Julia Featheringill