Artist Bio:
Adele’s love for nature began as a child with walks through neighborhood gardens in her hometown of Pittsburgh, visits to Phipps Nature Conservatory, and creating sketches at Shenley Park.
Adele moved to Erie to attend Mercyhurst University, and after receiving a BFA with a minor in Elementary Art, she decided to make Erie her permanent home. Shortly after graduating, she began her teaching career while simultaneously showing her art work in local galleries and exhibitions. She became enamored with the beachscapes and woodsy terrain at Presque Isle State Park, which became a frequent location for plein air painting. As when she was a child, neighborhood gardens, as well as her own garden, continue to provide ample inspiration for her art.
Adele’s work aims to convey the beauty and intrigue of the environments that she explores. Atmosphere, light, shadow and depth all come together in her artistic expressions, ranging from real to abstract. Subjects that Adele enjoys painting are: botanicals, landscapes, waterscapes, and still life. Drawing is also an integral part of her practice. She produces works in a variety of media, ranging from watercolor, oils, mixed media, to stoneware clay.
Adele still resides in Erie where she often paints the local landscapes, but also loves to recreate scenes of the farms around her New Wilmington, PA loft studio. Outside of Pennsylvania, she has also been heavily inspired by her travels to Greece, Italy, and other various locations around Europe and beyond. Exploration and a strong sense of curiosity remain a constant focus for Adele’s future projects and creative works.
Artist Statement:
My goal for my work is not only to reflect what I see in nature, but to submerge the viewer in the all-encompassing emotions and senses that I experience while painting. As I work to express the experience within a specific medium, I am also always attentive to the magic and mystique of ever-changing light, shadow, time of day, and seasons.
Impressionist and abstract expressionist painters have been a main influence on me as a painter, more specifically, artists like Paul Cezanne whose creative still lifes and perspectives are something I greatly admire and can relate to. I often distort perspective to reveal an interesting point of view, and depict objects that hold symbolic meaning. The use of color, markmaking, and line, remain a pervasive thread throughout my explorations of painting techniques. My work aims to invite the viewer to find a connection and a curiosity; to look and see beyond what is obvious.
