Artists Margaret McWethy and Ann M. Musto share a show at South Street Gallery in Hingham, Massachusetts, through December 11. The presentation is interesting in that the show offers the artists’ preliminary steps to the viewer.
The show, titled “Field to Finish,” reveals the working processes of the painters.
Preliminary sketches by McWethy, on display alongside her finished work
McWethy’s thumbnails and notations, which she exhibits with her paintings
“Silent Space,” by Ann M. Musto, oil, 20 x 40 in. Courtesy of South Street Gallery, Hingham, MA
“I like to exhibit process pieces alongside what I call principal works,” says McWethy. “It connects with and engages both artists and collectors. There is a certain mystique in the feeling that pieces flow freely from the artist’s fingertips, when in reality each piece represents a challenge to overcome, a problem to solve, as well as an emotion to evoke. People are fascinated to get a glimpse of some of the planning. About half the framed paintings in the show were plein air, as were most of the thumbnails. I like to do a small notan, a value sketch, and a colored thumbnail before I start.”
