Mary Jane Ansell, a UK painter who I first featured in 2013, is now represented here in the US by Arcadia Contemporary in New York.
Her elegantly refined portraits — primarily of young women — reveal their subjects in nuanced touches of diffuse light. They usually carry an implied narrative element, adding depth and a kind of emotional resonance, particularly when they appear to engage directly with the viewer.
Ansell builds her paintings in a traditional classical method, starting with a charcoal sketch, then a grisaille, built up with layers of transparent glazes as well as more direct opaque passages. There is a brief description with a couple of images here, and a FAQ page here.
Ansell’s work will be on display at Arcadia Contemporary in a solo show titled “Liberty’s Arc” from June 18th to July 10th, 2015.
