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Biography:
Capturing the sense of place, the feel of the landscape, is of prime importance to this artist. Each of her landscapes renders the particular light, weather, and
beauty of each scene, making her work evocative and highly characteristic of whatever region she is painting.
Although she explores a range of
subject matter, Gwen ’s passion is the landscape
of the Southwest. She balances her time painting outside with painting in the studio next to her gallery, Joyous Lake, but enjoys the outside painting best: “Its so great to be out here in the beautiful White Mountains. I don’t pay much attention to the wind and the
bugs when I’m painting. You can set a jackhammer off
next to me and I won’t hear it.”
Gwen grew up in an artist’s household. Her
mother, Flora Macdonald, had studied with Armin Hansen
and painted with the Monterey painters of the early
twentieth century. Macdonald painted and sculpted throughout
her childhood. This early exposure developed
Gwen's eye and made the creative act a
familiar, everyday process for her, something she
appreciated immensely when, in her early thirties, she
made painting her primary focus. Now, although the style of her work
can most closely be linked to the California plein air
painters, she has carried it into her Southwest work, and it continues to evolve into a style unique in southwest art.
The artist lives in Pinetop, Arizona, with her husband,
Lloyd Pentecost.
Exhibitions:
Tucson Plein Air Painters Membership Show, April, 2007
Women Artists of the West, National Arts Foundation, 2006
Paint the Aspens, October, 2005, 2006;
Women Artists of the West at Hart Park, April 2006;
Solo
show, "GoodBye, LA (though I've loved you)," Santa Monica, CA February 25-26, 2005.
Tucson Plein Air Painters, El Presidio Gallery, Tucson,
AZ, February, 2005
Desert Plein Air, La Quinta Arts Foundation, Nov. 2004
American Southwest Art Exhibition, Reagan Presidential
Library, 2004 (show chair)
Featured Artist, Canyonside Gallery, January 2004,
December 2002
Strathern Foundation Invitational Show, Reagan
Presidential Library, 2003
WAOW International Show, DuBois, Wyoming, 2003
Norco Western Art Show & Sale, 2002, 2003
Wickenburg Art Show, WAOW, 2002, 2003
Helper Plein Air Competition and Festival, 2001, 2002
Arts Alliance of the White Mountains Show, 2000
Women Artists of the West Membership Shows, 1994-present;
Pa-Jo's Mountain Man Rendezvous show, 1998 - 2002;
Paint-L Exhibit, "A New Year," "Real
Gardens, Virtual Friends,"2002
Allied Artists of the Santa Monica Mountains, 2001- 2004;
Professional memberships:
Signature
member and Past President, Women Artists of the West (WAOW);
Tucson Plein Air Painters Society,
Artists of the Paint-L; and
Northeast Arizona Fine Art Association
Represented by:
Joyous Lake Gallery, 1869 E. White Mountain Blvd., Pinetop, AZ 85935. 928-367-1319.
Awards:
Invitational image, Mountains Trust, Headwaters Corners
Show, March, 2004
Norco Western Art Show, 2002; 2nd Place, Premier Division
Published :
Los Angeles County: A Day Hiker's Guide (cover art); 2006
Art of the American West, by Julie
Christiansen-Dull and Caroline Linscott; Rockport
Publishing.
With appreciation to:
Flora Macdonald, artist's mother and student of Armin
Hansen, co-author of Creative Art in England, member of
Gertrude Stein's Salon in Paris. Painted with the
Monterey painters of the early 20th Century, including
Helen & Marjorie Bruton, C. S. Price.
Christian
Title, artist and former owner of Deville Galleries, who loaned
me wonderful original American Impressionist paintings as
the best "lessons" an artist could have.
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