Light and Shadow
by Sara Qualey
Pomegranates and Scroll
Sara Qualey, an Indiana native, studied at the John Herron School of Art in Indianapolis, Indiana, and received a BA in studio art from the University of Minnesota. After 20 years of running an advertising/graphic design business in Rochester, Minnesota, she and her husband moved to the north woods of Wisconsin in 1995. Sara says, “My paintings celebrate the simple joys of everyday life.”
Sara has continued to study painting in workshops at the Scottsdale Artists’ School and the Peninsula School of Art. She has participated in many group exhibitions including: Arrowhead Regional Biennial, Duluth Art Institute; Rochester Art Center, Rochester, MN; Scottsdale Artists’ School - Best and Brightest, Scottsdale, AZ; Center for the Visual Arts, Wausau, WI and Tweed Museum, University of Minnesota, Duluth, MN.
Her paintings have been featured in one-person exhibitions at: Art Beat, Hayward, WI; Lizzards Art Gallery, Duluth, MN; Lanesboro Arts, Lanesboro, MN; Nielsen Gallery, Minneapolis, MN; Firefly, Cable, WI; Rochester Art Center, Rochester, MN. Saint Mary’s University in Winona, MN organized an exhibition of paintings by Sara and her mother,
Patricia Judd.
Sara’s work is included in corporate collections including Marshfield Hospital, Eau Claire, Wisconsin; Featherlite Inc., Iowa; Rochester Transfer and Storage, Rochester, MN; Winnebago Mental Health Institute, Wisconsin.
Oyster Shells & Pearl
Yellow Mushrooms
Coffee Break
Artist Statement:
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“With an apple I will astonish Paris.” - Cézanne
“Astonish” might be too strong a word, but I do try to create still life paintings that cause the viewer to take a closer look at the commonplace. My primary interest as a painter is assembling compositions of everyday objects and using them as subjects in still life paintings.
Light and shadow are important elements in my compositions. I use light to highlight the focal point in the painting as well as guide the viewer’s eyes around the canvas. I paint from direct observation rather than photos. I take a representational approach, but I use painterly brush strokes and avoid too much detail.
I’ve had many artistic influences in my life. My biggest influence was my mother, Hoosier artist Patricia Judd. She arranged still life compositions from the objects that filled our home and then painted them with great sensitivity, skill and joy.
Stripes & Sunflower
Exhibit Dates: August 3 - September 9, 2024
Opening: August 3, 2024, 3-5:30 p.m.