Bio
Rhys Conlon majored in fine art and creative writing at Carnegie Mellon University and earned an MA in art history at Hunter College, City University of New York. In addition to working as an artist, she has held positions at the Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden, the Museum of Modern Art, New York, and the Whitney Museum of American Art. Today, she serves as head of publications at the Smithsonian's National Portrait Gallery. Rhys has been an active member of the Columbia Pike Artist Studios in Arlington, Virginia, since 2011. CV available upon request.
Artist's Statement
Nature—in the broadest sense—is the driving force behind this body of work. Part impulse and part calculation, each painting slowly evolves. The canvas quickly fills with patches of color, shapes, and distinctly textured areas. Then the contemplation and editing begin. Lines form; marks disappear; pigments mix and change. Layering is where I discover those compositions that my imagination could never conjure up on its own—that is, without paint. As I account for balance and strive to create an engaging rhythm, there is often a sense of struggle, but eventually I am faced with a finished surface.
