TANGLE OF IRIS, 18" X 24" PLEIN AIR OIL PAINTING; Scroll down for more artwork...
Name: Maggie Capettini
Medium: Oil
Town: Downers Grove, IL
Education: Master of Arts in Teaching; Dominican University, Illinois Bachelor of Arts in Studio Art; Augustana College, Illinois
A R T I S T S T A T E M E N T
“It all comes down to: I have to paint.
It is an urge, a compulsion. An addiction, if you will, complete with rituals, highs, and lows… involving the texture and surface of the paint itself, my paintings interpret the landscape and nature in both representational and abstract ways. I seek to create authentically, to “feel the rush”, to puzzle, ponder, and grow as a creating, creative human.”
During COVID, many artists like Maggie, seized the opportunity to stretch themselves creatively. She decided to explore abstract painting and soon carved out even more ways to express her deep love of color and texture.
“I’m inspired by my curiosity,” Maggie explains. “I want to see what paint can do – how to mix them to create the colors I want. I really love color – it always draws me in.”
Because her favorite subjects are flowers and landscapes, it’s no surprise that she thrives on plain air painting. During good weather, she’ll often be found working at her French easel in a quiet spot at the Morton Arboretum in Lisle, IL.
“I love it when people come up to me and ask what I’m doing,” she says. “The educator in me likes to share my project. And frequently, when I turn back to it, I’ll see it in a different way and start making adjustments. Painting outside is far more social than sitting alone in your studio.”
Maggie prefers working with painting knives and not brushes because of the variety of textures she can achieve. She also chooses to work from real life and not photographs. Using painting knives on panel, she applies and removes paint, creating a textured surface that reveals layers of color.
As an educator who has taught both children and adults, she offers these encouraging words:
· There’s no right way to create art.
· Finding joy in the process is the best reason to make art.
· If something seems visually wrong to you, ask yourself, is it really a mistake or an opportunity to take your work in a different direction?
Capettini has won numerous awards for her paintings, and her works are held in museum/gallery collections in Batavia, Warrenville, and West Chicago, Illinois, as well as private collections in the United States and internationally.
Through the LaGrange Art League, Maggie offers art “Boot Camp” online classes starting in January 2022. For more information about her upcoming classes, click here: maggie capettini - Workshops. Additionally, she is represented by Gallery Seven in Lockport, IL.
Online, you can find Maggie at the following sites:
Instagram and Facebook @maggiepaints
Tivoli at Twilight, 12" x 9" plein air oil painting
Sunlight at Langendorf Park, 8: x 8" plein air oil painting
Sunflowers and Purple, 12" x 9" oil painting from life
Maggie Capettini painting plein air -- what she loves the most!
Maggie posing with her recent solo exhibit at the Woodstock Opera House.
