Art & Life with Kathy McChesney

Today we’d like to introduce you to Kathy McChesney.

Kathy, please kick things off for us by telling us about yourself and your journey so far.
I was a post-war baby and one of the first boomers and grew up in a child’s paradise – L.A.’s Santa Monica Canyon. My home life was pretty chaotic, but I was magically surrounded by an abundance of nature – beaches, hills, streams – and plenty of kids to play with. And I loved making art; it gave me a voice, albeit a small one. Little me looked for the underside of things. My first oil painting was the garbage cans!

I went on to study fine arts at UC Santa Barbara in the 1960’s, where my training was strictly classical: two years of intensive figurative drawing and then an abrupt transition to advanced painting. A transition that I failed miserably. I was crushed and pretty much walked away.

Fast-forward 30-some years (through jobs, marriage, etc.) and I knew I had to get back to making art. As the year 2000 approached, although I was nearly paralyzed with fear (note to self: should have read “Art and Fear” first), I began painting again. I took a class and joined the San Diego Watercolor Society, and I was off. That’s nearly 20 years ago now, and today I live and breathe art. I have a voice. To paraphrase Picasso, it takes a lifetime to become as a child, and I’m well on my way.

Can you give our readers some background on your art?
I am a figurative artist and paint faces mostly – simply put, they fascinate me. Each face has a new voice. I think that all the years I felt I had no voice have inspired me to seek subjects who fly under the radar (most of us). As I spend hours working on an image, I’m really trying to discover what’s underneath. So many of my subjects are marginalized people. I paint their faces larger than life in the hope of capturing the viewer’s attention long enough to initiate a dialog. My recent series have referenced global displacement and immigration issues.

As for my practice, I work almost daily in my home studio. An intuitive painter, I don’t plan my paintings but rather let them evolve as I get more connected to the subject. I often start from a photo, sometimes just from my imagination, and track my progress by photographing each session. All of my work ends up becoming mixed media as I move through a painting. I may introduce collage, charcoal, oil stick, pencil – whatever works. At the moment I’m working primarily in oils and have recently begun experimenting with cold wax, which is opening up a whole new world of possibilities. It’s very exciting!

Do you think conditions are generally improving for artists? What more can cities and communities do to improve conditions for artists?
Yikes! When I first looked at the questionnaire, the next topic was “Community Building for Artists!” So that’s what I wrote about – I hope you can use it!

My advice: open up to what scares you! I was lucky when I first got back to painting. I took a class and began making new friends. One of the best decisions I made early on was to join the San Diego Watercolor Society. It was a great learning ground for me, opening doors, bringing new friends, and building my confidence. I began there by volunteering to work on the monthly juried shows, and eventually found the courage to enter one. I got into the show and my painting was awarded third place! A few years later I earned signature membership after being juried into three international competitions. Yes!

Through the years I’ve moved on as I began to experiment with other media. I’ve studied with some great teachers, including the late Reed Cardwell and my favorite Pia Stern. There are so many ways to connect – critique groups, drawing groups, workshops, exhibitions, volunteering. Today I’m part of a group of professional women artists who meet monthly to share information, inspire and support one another, and seek opportunities to show our work together.

So, yeah, there are lots of ways to minimize isolation. I guess bottom line for me is working to build a strong network of artist friends. No one can commiserate like another artist. After all, we do all speak the same language.

What’s the best way for someone to check out your work and provide support?
My work has been exhibited at the Oceanside Museum of Art, the William D. Cannon Art Gallery, the La Jolla Athenaeum Music & Arts Library, the San Diego Art Institute, and the San Diego Watercolor Society. While I am not currently represented by a gallery, my work can be seen on my website and on social media. Of course, I welcome interested visitors to my home studio, by appointment.

Contact Info:

• Address: Bird Rock, CA
• Website: www.KathyMcChesneyArt.com
• Phone: 619-990-1683
• Email: ktea@san.rr.com
• Instagram: @kathy.mcchesney
• Facebook: Kathy McChesney

Image Credit:
Kathy McChesney

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