Today we’d like to introduce you to Magdalena Almy.
Magdalena, we’d love to hear your story and how you got to where you are today both personally and as an artist.
I grew up surrounded by the smell of oil paint. My father was a painter and a source of inspiration early on. Sketching came naturally to me and looking back, I’ve always been drawn to people’s faces – the human story written in them, their individuality, their planes and angles. A serendipitous meeting in art school took me on a 3-year journey to Florence, Italy where my academic training and my love of classical painting blossomed. Having unearthed long sought after trade secrets, I returned to the U.S. ready to share what I had learned. In 2008, I co-founded the Ravenswood Atelier with my husband and fellow artist Matthew Almy.
We’d love to hear more about your art. What do you do you do and why and what do you hope others will take away from your work?
I work primarily in charcoal and oil paint. The human figure is central to the development of new ideas but my goals and aspirations for my art are constantly evolving. It all began with a pursuit of a highly specialized skill based on the methods practiced in the late 19th century. Portraiture with a high degree of naturalism has always fascinated me and although mastery of that skill is a life-long pursuit, accuracy is not in itself a chief end but only a beginning. Working directly from nature under natural light in changing light conditions provides me with a constant challenge to redefine what paint can do, what it means to paint well. Museum visits do the same. It’s at the art museum that I learn to put into words what I hope to arrive at one day. It’s there in the “Lady of Shalott” by J. W. Waterhouse, there in the portrait of Garshin by Ilya Repin and in the wilting “Roses” by Abbott Handerson Thayer. So how do I define a great painting? A fleeting glimpse of some enduring universal truth in soft focus lighting.
How can artists connect with other artists?
Yes, it can be lonely. I firmly believe that being part of the art community in some way is vital to personal growth. I think that regular participation in open drawing sessions, communication with other artists, attending workshops or sharing studio space with other like-minded people can greatly affect our work and mindset. Part of the reason I decided to open an atelier is to create an environment conducive to productivity in which people could exchange ideas, compare results, encourage and motivate each other through competition and offer honest feedback.
Do you have any events or exhibitions coming up? Where would one go to see more of your work? How can people support you and your artwork?
At the present moment, I am not showing work in galleries. I prefer to experiment with paint and to develop my style a bit further until a cohesive body of work emerges. The effects and results I’m after take time and like a cake, they bake slowly until the desired consistency is reached. The best place to see my work is my studio at the Ravenswood Atelier, my website, and on social media.
Contact Info:
- Address: ravenswoodatelier@gmail.com
- Website: magdalenaalmy.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ravenswoodatelier/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/magdalena.almy
Image Credit:
Magdalena Almy
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