Winter Studio Reflections
"On Nature" Exhibition
Dear art enthusiasts and supporters,
As winter settles over Connecticut’s Thames River and my boathouse studio, I’m pleased to share recent developments in my practice and exhibition history:
Exhibited two paintings in “On Nature,” SVACE Project Space, School of Visual Arts (On-site and Virtual Exhibition), New York, NY
Completed two paintings, The Cove and Samhain, documenting summer 2025’s ecological and seasonal transitions
Continuing research-creation practice exploring the entanglement of ecological and industrial systems in coastal Connecticut and Rhode Island
On Nature: Research-Creation at the Thames River
This past year, I completed two paintings that explore coexistence and transition in the Thames River estuary, where it meets Long Island Sound. Both works were created through research-creation practice, sustained on-site observation at a working marina where ecological and industrial systems intersect.
The Cove documents the extreme heat and drought of the summer of 2025. Waterfowl thrive amid industrial activity, nuclear submarine and wind turbine manufacturing visible nearby, while a wildflower persists in conditions of mounting environmental stress. Through translucent layering, the painting documents a reality often obscured in environmental discourse: coastal ecosystems functioning not despite industrial presence, but within it. Waterfowl thrive, and wildflowers persist, even as nuclear submarines and wind turbine components move through the same waters.
Samhain, Irish for “summer’s end,” marks the turning toward winter’s darkness. Painted as waterfowl migrated south from the Thames River estuary, two ghost flowers ascend through somber browns and night sky, in departure. Diagonal structures of chain-link fencing anchor the composition while translucent forms rise toward stars, a meditation on what remains and what must leave as seasons and the environment change.
Both works question the conventional separation between “nature” and human activity, documenting coexistence rather than opposition in our changing natural world.
SVA Residency Alumni Exhibition: “On Nature”
The Cove and Samhain were exhibited in “On Nature” at the School of Visual Arts’ SVACE Project Space in New York. The show’s theme invited exploration of how contemporary art practice engages with ecological questions and our relationship to the natural world.
My paintings focus on the entanglement of ecological and industrial systems, the Thames River estuary as both wildlife habitat and industrial corridor, connecting directly to broader conversations about what we mean by “nature” in the 21st century.
Winter Studio: Continuing Practice
From my century-old boathouse studio on the Thames River, I continue this research-creation practice, documenting what I call “quiet disturbances”—observable climate phenomena and ecological shifts in familiar landscapes. The winter months offer particular clarity for observing atmospheric conditions and tidal patterns that inform my work.
The paintings invite viewers to notice the complexity of coexistence in our coastal ecosystems: not pristine wilderness, but living systems adapting amid industrial presence, climate stress, and ongoing change.
Thank you for your continued engagement with this work.
From the winter studio,
— Maureen