Oil Painting with Kathy McNenly - theHumm August 2024

By Kim Lulashnyk

A group of beginner oil painters recently gathered at Stone Manor Studios for a three-day workshop led by Kathy McNenly. The studio buzzed with creativity as participants immersed themselves in the oil painting world, discovering not just classical techniques but their artistic potential. Focusing exclusively on a still-life composition of their own making, participants had the unique opportunity to build their skills in the classical methods of oil painting under the guidance of a master painter.

Kathy McNenly, a resident of Almonte, is a highly skilled and accomplished artist renowned for her expertise in classical oil painting techniques. She graduated with a Bachelor of Fine Arts from York University in 1986. Driven by a desire to study a more representational approach to painting, she took classes part-time with John Angel at the National Portrait Academy from 1982-1987 in Toronto. In 1991, Kathy travelled to Florence, Italy, and attended the Atelier Cecil-Graves for a term. She has also participated in figure painting workshops with Michael Grimaldi at the Grand Central Atelier in New York City and completed online Dutch Flower painting workshops with Carlo Russo.

With over 20 years of teaching experience, Kathy has taught traditional painting techniques first with the City of Ottawa and currently for the Kanata Art Club. Her teaching philosophy focuses on providing students with the technical means to produce representational images, ensuring concepts of form, tone, and colour are understood while allowing individual expression of style. Her multi-level classes suit all skill levels, incorporating demonstrations and personalized guidance to address students’ needs.

During the workshop, participants were invited to step back in time and embrace classical painting traditions. They gained a profound understanding of painting techniques, exploring the principles of colour mixing and various approaches to compositional theory. They refined their skills in arranging and portraying objects with precision and artistry, infusing ordinary items with beauty and meaning. Kathy led them through a systematic step-by-step process, from the initial underpainting to the final layers of realistic colour application. They were remarkable in creating depth, texture, and luminosity in their still-life artworks.

Nestled within the inspired setting of an 1860s stone manor estate, Stone Manor Studios provided a unique learning experience. The three days of intensive learning were accompanied by unlimited refreshments and delicious group lunches, fostering a warm and nurturing environment. There is great anticipation for Kathy’s next workshop in September, which will focus on the study of the Portrait in Oil using the classical method.

I had the pleasure of sitting with Kathy for an insightful interview before her still-life, 3-day workshop at Stone Manor Studios. We discussed her artistic journey, her teaching philosophy, what drives her passion for classical painting, and why she loves the challenge of painting the still-life. Here’s what she shared with us:

Stone Manor Studios: Tell me about how you will approach the composition of the still-life with your beginner students.

Kathy McNenly: I begin with a compositional handout created by a landscape painter, actually. Bryan Peterson produced a book about the composition of landscape painting and it kind of crosses over into still-life. His established themes about composition are central to how I am going to approach the topic. What’s interesting about composition is that there aren’t any established rules; today, contemporary artists break all sorts of rules. It’s true that even some classical artists broke the rules and did some pretty wacky things with their still-lives, but I am going to provide a basic lesson for the students to help them shape their compositions and set them in the shadow boxes that they will work on for the three days.

What are your favourite subjects you like to include in your own still-life paintings?

I certainly have a lot of pottery! I often see something and think to myself, “that’s beautiful” or “I like the shape of that,” and that’s where my composition starts. I build around this one kind of shape, and then I’ll try to work in colour compositions and designs around it. A lot of the time, I look at other artists from the past who I like and study their compositions. I saw a pot on Etsy recently by a Danish potter, and I just love the shape of it and built a painting around that. I bought a brass pot not too long ago and built a compositional story around it, so it always starts with an object I am attracted to.

I am drawn to the light in your compositions. There is obviously something unique about the reflections on your work.

I think that, like most still-life painters, I look for reflective surfaces such as metal or ceramic glazes because they have a whole sort of environment or story going on inside the reflections.

Do you ever paint yourself in those reflections?

Yeah, usually I’m in there somewhere. It’s ambiguous, but I’m there.

You are also known for your portraits, landscapes, and still lives. How do you balance it all?

I would say that portraits are 50% of my business, and the other 50% is still-life, and landscape is just stuff I do for fun. I still sell landscape paintings once in a while if I have time to do some!

Do you have a personal preference in your practice? Would you say you love portrait, still-life, or landscape painting best?

I find landscape painting the most difficult for me. It is the most challenging discipline because you have to edit out what’s in front of you. For instance, you’re faced with those massive trees and sky and water and all the landscape stuff, and you have actually to choose and manipulate things yourself into a manageable painting. Plus, the light is constantly changing. Whereas if you’re setting up a still life, you’re sort of designing it yourself, and you’re fixing it right there to create your story. And portraiture is the same. You pose the sitter, and you design and manage the light so you have control. You don’t have any control of the landscape. I would say it’s the most difficult for me. I definitely approach all three kinds of painting in the same way; it’s just the control of the subject that impacts me in the end and what my preference is—more control,

How do you approach teaching art to beginners?

I try to keep it pretty structured. I’d say I’m not too interested in them being super creative at this stage because many of my students are beginners. I don’t want to overload them with information, overtax them. So, this weekend, I’ll go through the composition theory, and I’ll help them build their own still life story if they need it. Then we’re just going to start at the very basics of drawing, then how to do the underpainting, and then proceed into colour. Colour is such a difficult subject for people to grasp, but I’ll simplify it a bit and then just go through the stages. That’s my approach, stages and do learn technique right from the start. It’s the best way to begin.

Tell me about your beginnings!

I’ve always been drawing; one of those kids drawing all the time. In my time, you didn’t go into the arts because you had to make a ‘living.’ I was originally going to take business at university; but I didn’t want to go through life regretting not following my passion. I went to study Fine Arts at York University in Toronto. It didn’t turn out to be what I was looking for. There were no teachers there who could teach traditional art or structure or classical techniques, so I had to look for that training somewhere else. I found John Angel, a well know painter and portrait artist who was starting his classical art school in Toronto. I would study with him a couple nights a week. After university and working for a couple of years, I packed up and went to Florence and studied with the Cecil-Graves Atelier. This was a perfect learning opportunity. It was very disciplined and structured, which I loved. I studied six months there and although I could not afford to do the full curriculum, I took what I learned to that point and began painting as a career. Part time at first, then full time.

Where do you have your Studio, and do you teach there or sell your work out of a home gallery?

Almonte, the artistic capital of eastern Ontario! I have a home Studio; it’s just my husband and me so I basically just said the livingroom has the best light, so I’m taking it over! I do not teach at my home studio but at the Kanata Art Club and now, this retreat at Stone Manor Studios. I have downsized my gallery presence but keep a few paintings at The General in Almonte, and I am part of the 10 Collective, where we have a show every couple of years. There is one coming in April. I get a lot of portrait commissions and other calls for work through my website www.katherinemcnenly.com, and am thinking about a solo show again, but that is a lot of inventory I would need to stockpile, and I am pretty busy with commissions and teaching.

What advice would you give to aspiring artists who are just starting their creative journey?

I would say find an artist that you admire online or in your area and study with them for a few years. This will give you the foundation for the type of art you want to explore and the confidence to work on your own. Also, art is a journey of discovery and you will find that learning new techniques, mediums or ways of expression will be life long.

— Kim Lulashnyk is the Owner & Creative Director at Stone Manor Studios in Newboro

www.stonemanorstudios.ca

Wendo Van Essen — Nothing Felt Better - theHumm August 2024

By Sally Hansen

Art… and Soul

On the back of her Artist Trading Card at the top righthand corner of this page, Wendo Van Essen explains WHY she is a Fibre Artist: “I cannot not be making something.” And of all the somethings she has tried, fibre arts have felt the best. Pun intended. Even during her interview, Wendo was busily at work creating an adorable needle-felted zebra as a gift for an upcoming baby shower. Needle felting involves sculpting creative shapes from (usually) wool fibres with special notch......

Oil Painting with Kathy McNenly - theHumm August 2024