July 20 – August 21, 2018

Opening reception on Friday, July 20, 6-8 pm

“Bloom” focuses on floral still lifes rendered with Longmaid’s fresh and contemporary approach to the subject. “I am drawn to subject matter that is ephemeral. Surrounded by beauty in the garden or walking in the woods, we reconnect with nature and, in the process, come home to ourselves. Flowers remind us of the transient nature and beauty of life. They beckon us to embrace the moment, to celebrate the beauty around us, to come into bloom. My recent paintings have followed the unfolding of spring in a succession of blooms: daffodils, flowering quince, peonies, iris. I have approached these paintings as portraits, attempting to capture the singular beauty of each flower as well as the rich array of color, shape, and texture of flowers assembled together.”

“What in your life is calling you,                                      

When all the noise is silenced,

The meetings adjourned…

The lists laid aside,

And the Wild Iris blooms

By itself

In the dark forest …

What still pulls on your soul?

– Rumi

Longmaid is also recognized for her portraiture for which she was one of eight women selected for the 2010 Women to Watch exhibition “Body of Work: New Perspectives on Figure Painting at the National Museum of Women in the Art” in Washington, D.C.

“Through a contemporary approach to portraiture, I explore the rich terrain of individual identity and what is revealed in the intimate moments of seeing and being seen… From the privileged position of witnessing the other, I seek to convey the unique presence of each subject as well as our shared humanity.”

Born outside of Philadelphia, Kate Longmaid has always been drawn to art and understanding what it means to be human. She obtained a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology and Art: Theory and Practice at the University of Michigan. Longmaid’s paintings have been exhibited in galleries and museums on the East and West Coast, in Canada, and are held in private collections throughout the U.S. She currently resides in Shelburne, VT.