“I’d rather you didn’t take any photos of me, just of my work,†said artist Mary Sipp-Green within moments of my arriving at her Housatonic studio. Understandably, Sipp-Green preferred that her paintings, not herself, be the focus of our interview.
But how can one meet with an artist and not want to focus on her, the hand that guides the brush? How can a person ignore the desire to share the time spent speaking with an artist, just as she would want to share a time spent contemplating a sunlit shore?
Mary Sipp-Green has been painting for more than 20 years. Over the past decade, this Berkshire-based artist has had numerous solo exhibitions throughout Massachusetts and has attracted a loyal group of collectors. She achieved recognition through a juried exhibition at the National Academy Museum in New York City, which awarded her the Adoph and Clara Obrig Award in 1992.
Her work was chosen to appear on the cover of the 1996 Dave Brubeck album Nightshift. Noted art critic Sister Wendy Beckett commends Sipp-Green’s ability to evoke “the buried emotions of our dream-life†in her book, The Mystical Now: Art and the Sacred.
Sipp-Green credits much of her talent to “a good gene pool.†Her parents, Herbert and Anne Sipp, are artists in their own right who passed their creative souls on to their children: Mary is one of four siblings all of whom pursue their art through either personal projects or as a career. Sipp-Green attributes her continued growth as an artist to invaluable lessons learned from her mentor, Leo Garel, who directed her to look inside herself and listen to her own voice.
Having viewed Sipp-Green’s work, it is obvious that she has taken Garel’s direction to heart. The Berkshire County countryside, land and seascapes of Martha’s Vineyard, and salt marshes of Cumberland Island, Georgia, have strongly influenced Sipp-Green. Her landscapes convey balance through a tension between cool serenity and warm emotions. Luminous skies and soft, muted edges are offset by strong lines of vertical movement and bold color. Sipp-Green’s use of opposites in her work — light and shadow, surface and depth, translucence and opacity — increase the intensity of her scenes.
It has been said that to witness Sipp-Green’s work is to understand what Gaston Bachelard meant by his notion of “intimate immensity.†Her canvases seem to capture moments in time and space, suspended between the barely perceptible turn of a season, before a vast sky and grounding earth.
Hesitant to label her artistic style, Sipp-Green described her work as a bit of Romanticism, because it is of a moment, Impressionism (“what isn’t?†she asked with a laugh), and only slightly abstract. She stated that she hopes that her paintings “speak for themselves. I want to pass along my experiences. Watching a sunset or a sunrise is very profound and I want people to see that in my work.â€
While her preferred medium is oil on linen, Sipp-Green’s methods, techniques, and aesthetic aims have changed over the years. As a young painter she learned her craft in the studio, painting still-lifes and portraits as well as landscapes drawn directly from nature. Over time she became increasingly engaged with the more abstract and spiritual aspects of landscapes and began to pursue a less representational and more interpretive style.
When she first approaches a canvas she usually has some sense of the color scheme and overall composition of the painting. Each painting begins with preliminary sketches and color notes recorded on site, but the work itself takes shape in the studio where she allows memory and emotion to guide her.
“My work is fueled by an inner need to express. Not my need, but what the painting needs [to express]. The search is what keeps me interested, the search for what a painting will become in the end.â€
In her opinion, this extraordinary way in which the visible world can articulate something meaningful through the medium of paint is the fundamental appeal of a life in painting. Sipp-Green expressed that she is “really grateful that I can do this. For me, this is not a career so much as it is a way of life.â€
Mary Sipp-Green’s next gallery show will open Sunday, Aug. 5 at The Granary Gallery on Martha’s Vineyard, Old County Road, West Tisbury; there will be an artist’s reception that day from 5 to 7 p.m. This show will display the artist's Berkshire County and Martha’s Vineyard landscapes. For further information on this exhibit, call (508) 693-0455 or 1-800-GRANARY, or visit the gallery online at www.granarygallery.com.
Sipp-Green’s next solo gallery show will open at Multiple Impressions in SoHo, 128 Spring Street, New York, N.Y. This exhibit will feature scenes of Berkshire County and Cumberland Island. For more information on this show, contact the gallery at (212) 925-1313 or through their web site at www.multipleimpressions.com.
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Berkshire County Homes Celebrating Holiday Cheer
By Breanna SteeleiBerkshires Staff
There's holiday cheer throughout the Berkshires this winter.
Many homeowners are showing their holiday spirit by decorating their houses. We asked for submissions so those in the community can check out these fanciful lights and decor when they're out.
We asked the homeowners questions on their decorations and why they like to light up their houses.
In Great Barrington, Matt Pevzner has decorated his house with many lights and even has a Facebook page dedicated to making sure others can see the holiday joy.
Located at 93 Brush Hill Road, there's more than 61,000 lights strewn across the yard decorating trees and reindeer and even a polar bear.
The Pevzner family started decorating in September by testing their hundreds of boxes of lights. He builds all of his own decorations like the star 10-foot star that shines done from 80-feet up, 10 10-foot trees, nine 5-foot trees, and even the sleigh, and more that he also uses a lift to make sure are perfect each year.
"I always decorated but I went big during COVID. I felt that people needed something positive and to bring joy and happiness to everyone," he wrote. "I strive to bring as much joy and happiness as I can during the holidays. I love it when I get a message about how much people enjoy it. I've received cards thanking me how much they enjoyed it and made them smile. That means a lot."
Pevzner starts thinking about next year's display immediately after they take it down after New Year's. He gets his ideas by asking on his Facebook page for people's favorite decorations. The Pevzner family encourages you to take a drive and see their decorations, which are lighted every night from 5 to 10.
In North Adams, the Wilson family decorates their house with fun inflatables and even a big Santa waving to those who pass by.
The Wilsons start decorating before Thanksgiving and started decorating once their daughter was born and have grown their decorations each year as she has grown. They love to decorate as they used to drive around to look at decorations when they were younger and hope to spread the same joy.
"I have always loved driving around looking at Christmas lights and decorations. It's incredible what people can achieve these days with their displays," they wrote.
The Wilsons' invite you to come and look at their display at 432 Church St. that's lit from 4:30 to 10:30 every night, though if it's really windy, the inflatables might not be up as the weather will be too harsh.
In Pittsfield, Travis and Shannon Dozier decorated their house for the first time this Christmas as they recently purchased their home on Faucett Lane. The two started decorating in November, and hope to bring joy to the community.
"If we put a smile on one child's face driving by, then our mission was accomplished," they said.
Many homeowners are showing their holiday spirit by decorating their houses. We asked for submissions so those in the community can check out these fanciful lights and decor when they're out.
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