Keep your face always toward the sunshine - and shadows will fall behind you. - Walt Whitman
The picturesque vistas and panoramic views have often evoked feelings of inspiration and awe—the shared experience of beauty. For artists, this inherent allure of the natural world can ignite a longing for deep exploration,
furthering their journey of artistic expression. For Inside-Out Gallery’s featured artist, Kerri McGill, this resonates deeply. Her vibrant landscapes depict not only tranquility, but reflect the age-old philosophical ideals of the human experience within nature. This creative spark came very early on. McGill attributes her path to having strong support in pursuing an arts education which led her to Massachusetts College for Art and Design. She never looked back.
As painter, maker, and scenic artist in the film industry, Kerri McGill has always subscribed to a “can-do, anything’s possible” mantra with an openness to possibilities. To her, a painter is flexible with unforeseen circumstances and achieves their goal in spite of all the challenges (a skill honed while working on film sets). There is fluidity and constant ebb and flow—a kinetic response to her process. Inspired by abstract expressionists and the works of Frost, Whitman, and Kerouac, McGill has a holistic approach to her work; sometimes working on multiple paintings at once with all paths leading to one vision.
These explorations serve as a personal narrative with each place having its own story. While at an art residency in New Zealand, this curiosity released an untapped yearning; one that found its way into her drawings. By pushing boundaries and discovering new materials, McGill used this newfound fascination to translate her observations into map-collage painting techniques, expanding the direction of her work and practice.
While it may be the road less traveled for some, Kerri McGill’s road to creative fulfillment is paved both reflection and perseverance; one
that offers a visual space to explore and re-examine our unique connections to the world around us. That is the beauty of the artistic thinker; they give us a map so we to can be a part of the creative process.
Kerri exhibits her work around the Greater Boston area as well as internationally and creates at Vernon Street Studios in Somerville.
An interview with Kerrie McGill
Where are you from originally and how long have you been in the Greater Boston area?
I spent my early childhood in the Berkshires, moved to the north shore later in childhood and after studying at Mass Art, moved to Somerville, now in Medford… so you know, kind of a townie..
How long have you been doing your art practice and where did you study?
During Berkshire childhood, I found new and inventive ways to break the small antenna-ed television. When my mom refused to fix it, I filled my new free time with drawing w/a focus on tracing dinosaurs.
College education is taken very seriously in my family and I had a great deal of support pursuing an education at Mass Art. I know it was a great privilege to have both the opportunity and encouragement to seek an education in the arts that not everyone else has.
How would you describe your fine art practice and motivation?
Artmaking is a vocation and part of my thought process. It is a continual and constant act- perpetually translating anything interesting
into the visual language, hoping to create a new perspective to share with others. That is sufficient motivation for me.
I keep a sketchbook handy to take notes on life around me......I like to get to the studio in quiet times, early morning or in the hot days of summer, overnight. In the early phase, I work multiple canvases at a time until one breaks from the pack, each painting comes to fruition in its own time.
You have also worked in the film industry. Tell me more how you got started and in what ways this has shaped you personally as an artist.
In the early 2000s, I created the Floating Gallery, monthly home hosted salon style art shows. Organizing these exhibits was a lot of work but with so many rewards- learning the business side of art and connecting with both fantastic Boston-area artists and the fantastic audience that showed up! This is how I learned about Boston’s film industry and the term “scenic artist”. I didn’t have a business background to keep the Floating Gallery afloat without the aid of full time waitressing.
I decided working for the film industry was worth all the efforts it took. It fine tuned a number of skills: always read directions, learn new processes as quickly as possible, hit the deadline! Be a team player. If something doesn't work, find another way to accomplish the goal. Never fear mistakes! AK! Fix those mistakes QUICK! HIT THE HEADLINE! Always offer help. Always take constructive criticism. Make things Big! Make things Fast! Step back and Listen to feedback… Do it all again. FASTER. BIGGER. Love a good coffee break. Be grateful for your team.
Who were your earliest mentors? Who are your most significant influences as an artist?
Wow- this is a tough one.
I’ve been touched by the wisdom of so many people. I was often the youngest kid in an art class full of retired folks. When I moved to the
North Shore as a kid, my fifth grade teacher gave me a shoe box of oil paints..lol I must’ve stuck out as the awkward art kid- but collectively, all these adults who helped me build my skill set as a kid (I wouldn’t call myself talented, just well-practiced) I count them all as mentors.
I studied photo and painting at Mass Art and I really thank my photo professors (Abe Morell and Barbara Bosworth) for nurturing my artmaking “backbone”.. A respect for competence/process, a knowledge of composition and desire for substance and integrity of concept/theme.
What are your most current passions and obsessions as an artist? Who (or what) inspires you most?
I’ve been really taken with NY abstract expressionists lately. The idea of being an artist during WWII and the post war era.. Trying to figure out how to create in a time of destruction, and the decision to move into paint-as-subject. Conversely, I have always been inspired by an artist of that time who stayed true to figurative themes, Leonard Baskin.
As far as life inspiration- It’s the age old theme of the power of the natural world and mankind’s place in it all. We are in the place of Robert Frost and Whitman, Kerouac too. This is the great task - create a visual language unique to your voice while exploring age old ideas of the human experience.....I have to add my interest in science, specifically: Neuroaesthetics, Quantum physics and vision studies.
As you work from one series to the next, in what ways do you continue to push and evolve yourself as an artist?
I find evolution can’t be helped! If I work consistently, the studio is like a garden in the muddy spring- kind of a mess with new things growing and blooming - changing every day! I go out into the world to collect sketches or color combinations.. Find artists I haven’t heard of.
Sometimes I give myself technical challenges - trying different painting techniques, emulating another artist's style, consciously using colors/palettes I’m not fond of. Reading helps tremendously too! If color enhances connectivity to abstract ideas and emotions, reading adds layers to depth of concept.
Artist Contact:
[email protected]
www.KerriMcGill.com
IG@HappyShout
About the Inside-Out Gallery
Initiated in 2009, The Inside-Out Gallery is located in the CVS Window in Davis Square, a unique space that allows the public to view an eclectic array of works from artists and local organizations each month. The mission of the Somerville Arts Council is to cultivate and celebrate the creative expressions of the Somerville community. Through innovative collaborations and quality programming we work to make the arts an integral part of life reflective of our diverse city.