Artist in Pittsburgh born and raised in Vermont, Lake Champlain Islands & Stowe. Education: California College of the Arts (BFA), Instituto Allende, San Miguel de Allende, Mexico, Boston Architectural Center, Carlow University, Truro Center for the Arts. The paycheck: twenty-five year Interiors & Space Planning career in PA, MA and VT in architecture and design firms (KSBA Architects, Burt Hill Kosar Rittelmann Associates, Landmark Design Associates, DRS Interiors, Integrated Architectural Services, John Martine AIA, Interspace Inc, Colin Lindberg, AIA) as well as in-house design for John Hancock.
Artist statement of process: Is there an energy I sense in my subjects which I can bring out with my brushes and mark makers? My intention is to locate and create the energy of my observations in my drawings and paintings.
When I land on an idea, I simplify visual detail. Starting with simplifying what I see, then changing it, this forms an outline of my working method. Simplicity is more my artistic goal than realism and I am rarely as simple as I want to be.
Seeing: light rays enter the eye through the cornea, the front “window” of the eye. The retina receives the image the cornea focuses through the eye’s internal lens, then transforms the image into electrical impulses that are carried by the optic nerve to the brain. People say artists paint what they see. I can only say my artwork is related to the image my retina receives, but it may or may not be same world I paint.
My own artwork and prints can be purchased directly from me. My vintage Schenley Park Illustrated Map, is very popular and is carried at 3 Rivers Outdoor Company in Regent Square. Sales of the map help in keeping my art supplies replenished. Some of my prints and cards are available at Firebox Art Studios LCC in Carnegie, PA and Dovecote in Aspinwall.
I do take commissions for paintings.
I am a working artist and member of Associated Artists of Pittsburgh (AAP) and Pittsburgh Society of Artists (PSA). As a board member of PSA for 6 years I held the following posts: Vice President, Chair of Publicity and Social Media, Chair of Programs, Newsletter co- Chair.
The Art Award I’m proudest of was from Juror Freyda Spira, Associate Curator in the Department of Drawings and Prints at the Metropolitan Museum of Art. I received one of her Best of Show awards at Intr[au]spective exhibition, Three Rivers Arts Festival. This was for my series of paintings of trailers and mobile homes. The overall theme of the festival was Unseen/Unheard.
Most Recent Work/events
2023 May 6- June 24 Associated Artists of Pittsburgh Exhibiting Artist in The Grandeur of Power. Curated by Eric Shiner, the President of Powerhouse Arts, a Brooklyn not-for-profit committed to creative expression that hosts a network of art and fabrication professionals and educators who work together to co-create and share artistic practices. Shiner has served as the executive director of Pioneer Works in Brooklyn, artistic director of White Cube New York, and Senior Vice President of Contemporary Art at Sotheby’s. Shiner was also the director of The Andy Warhol Museum in Pittsburgh (2010-2016) and the Milton Fine Curator of Art at The Warhol (2008-2010).
April 26th through May 26th, 2023 Working With Paper, Pittsburgh Society of Artists Exhibition at Boxheart Gallery. The exhibition features 60 works of art highlighting the use of paper to create collage, drawing, photography, painting, sculpture, print-making, and digital art.
January 2023 Abstracting the Weather Channel– a personal month-long annual creativity exercise (called Fun A Day) culminated in a show at Panza Gallery. This year I worked on mostly abstract but some representational imagery using the colors of the January sky. I love the annual exhibit as no frames are needed, you just clip the actual art to the walls. The focus of new year, new work is very freeing.
2022 Associated Artists of Pittsburgh New Member Exhibition. Associated Artists of Pittsburgh (AAP) is the oldest, continuously exhibiting artist member organization in the country largely due to the strength of membership.
2021 & 2020 COVID times participation in regular Zoom workshops called Artplay (vs Artwork) facilitated by Odessa Spore at Front Room Studio out of Halifax NS. Mostly just focusing on making new work, new directions, not marketing and not framing etc.
2021 July & August exhibiting in a group show ‘Monet and Martinis’ in Cranberry Township, PA
2020 October. My Silly Ink Cards of Pittsburgh and recent art prints are available at Eva Trout’s Firebox Art Studios LCC in Carnegie, PA
January and February, Fun a Day Pittsburgh 2020 the exhibition. at CDCP Project Space.
January 4-19 2020 Community Response Exhibit- Art in the Triboro Ecodistrict, Ketchup City Creative in Sharpsburg; February 7-9 Group Exhibit ‘Fun a Day Pittsburgh’, venue to be announced.
Accepted as exhibiting artist in Casey Droege’s Small Mall shop
2019 Paintings & Prints of The Goats of Goat Rodeo Farm and Dairy shown at Artist Image Resource A.I.R. and Group exhibit at Christine Frechard Gallery, Lawrenceville
2017- 2018 Solo Art Exhibition 40 pieces at Cooper Siegel Community Library Fox Chapel.
2017-Group exhibit Framehouse & Jask Gallery
2016 Duquesne Club Purchased in Spring 2016 an archival print of my drawing Sixth Avenue. Read more.
2016– invited by Brett Yasko to exhibit in John Riegert show at SPACE gallery
2015 Cover Art In Garrison Keillor’s The Writer’s Almanac on August 20, 2015 he read from Paul Martin’s most recent book of poetry Floating on the Lehigh published by Grayson Books where my river painting was commissioned for the cover. It is Garrison Keillor’s daily summary of poems, prose, and literary history.
2015 Illustration My altered Schenley Park Pictorial Map was licensed for use to illustrate Western Pennsylvania History, Fall 2015 issue, a quarterly publication of the Senator John Heinz History Center. To see article scroll to page 22. The article is What’s in a Namesake? Mary Schenley by Jake Oresick. WESA radio interviews him about his findings.
2015 Intr(au)spective Best of Show award at 937 Gallery Pittsburgh. Awarded by Freyda Spira, Associate Curator in the Department of Drawings and Prints at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York. It was for my series of paintings of mobile homes, trailers and manufactured housing. Pittsburgh Society of Artists in partnership with Three Rivers Arts Festival (TRAF) The theme for entire festival was Unseen/Unheard.
2015 Cranberry Artist Network “Isn’t it Romantic?” 2015 Jurors Award 2nd Place. Cranberry Township Municipal Center
2014- Pittsburgh Society of Artists 49th Annual at Panza Gallery. My work accepted by this annual by Juror Paul Rosenblatt, AIA an award-winning architect / installation artist. He is Principal of SPRINGBOARD Architecture Communication Design.
2014 Boulevard Gallery, Verona, PA Group Show September 2014
2013- 2014 “Internationally Inspired: A Response to the 2013 Carnegie International” 3rd Street Gallery, March 2014: an exhibit where members of Pittsburgh Society of Artists respond to the Carnegie International. Carol Skinger Responds to Carnegie International
2013 “The New Collective” at Pittsburgh Center for the Arts (PCA) Jurors: Petra Fallaux, Renee Stout, Clayton Merrell. Friday November 22, 2013 at 5:30pm opening reception for at 6300 Fifth Ave (Shadyside) Pittsburgh, PA. My piece accepted for this exhibit: a map I created of Pittsburgh depicting the 2010 Census using rubber stamps on vellum showing residential distribution for Black Pittsburgh, White Pittsburgh and Mixed Pittsburgh. This exhibition was open to members of all PCA Guilds: Craftsmen’s Guild of Pittsburgh, Fiberarts Guild of Pittsburgh, Group A, Pittsburgh Print Group, Pittsburgh Society of Artists, Society of Sculptors, and Women of Visions, Inc.
2013 Sanctuary at Panza Gallery Two reverse negatives of Heron’s Nests at Big Sewickley Creek accepted by Juror Patricia Bellan-Gillen, artist and Carnegie Mellon University art professor. September- October 2013.
2013 Tula Organic Salon and Spa– solo show
2012– “Andy Warhol’s Family Church” group show at Modern Formations Gallery
2012 Pittsburgh Society of Artists Annual at Fein Art Gallery, 519 East Ohio Street, located on Pittsburgh’s Northside. October 5, 2012 to November 2, 2012. Hours: Mon – Fri 9:30 – 5 :00 & Sat 10-4
2012 Arbor Aid 2012, November 2012. Arbor Aid is Tree Pittsburgh’s annual fundraiser: an event that features artwork created from salvaged and reclaimed wood. at The Wheel Mill 6815 Hamilton Avenue :: Corner of Hamilton & Dallas. See my You Tube of my piece created from found wood here
2012 Tone it UP! Pittsburgh Center for the Arts (PCA) , Pittsburgh, PA. May 11-July 22 2012. Group exhibition, Juror Greg Harrison. Art guilds associated with PCA submitted artworks reflecting something they were passionate about, whether political, environmental, cultural, etc.
2011-2012 Governor Corbett’s Southwest Pennsylvania office in Pittsburgh I was invited to have two pieces (Homage to Rachel Carson and Homage to AugustWilson) displayed for several months in 2011 and 2012.
2011 Pittsburgh by Pittsburgh Artists The Irma Freeman Center for Imagination 5006 Penn Avenue, Pittsburgh, PA 15224 October 7th- November 4th, 2011. A full color catalog was created.
Arbor Aid 2011: Art Created from Salvaged Wood 6th Floor, Guardian Storage Solutions in the Strip District 2839 Liberty Ave Pittsburgh, PA Friday, October 28 at 7:00pm – October 29 at 12:00am
Awards
Intr(au)spective 2015 My series of paintings of mobile homes, trailers and manufactured housing was awarded Best of Show Prize (one of three) by Freyda Spira, Associate Curator in the Department of Drawings and Prints at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York. The exhibition at 937 Gallery called Intr(au)spective was part of 2015 Three Rivers Arts Festival (TRAF). The entire festival had a theme, Unseen/Unheard. Read Freyda Spira’s Juror’s Statement for Intr(au)spective.
2015 Cranberry Artists Network Exhibit “Isn’t it Romantic?” February 2015 Jurors ward 2nd Place
2010 Borelli Edwards Gallery “Small Works” exhibit, sponsored by Pittsburgh Society of Artists, juried by Joy Borelli — Honorable Mention for Homage to August Wilson.
2010 Fein Arts Gallery “Urban Dreams” exhibit, sponsored by Pittsburgh Society of Artists, juried by Kathleen Zimbicki — Jurors Award for “Fake Urban Plan for East Liberty”
Publications & Articles
2018 and 2017 articles about Solo Show at Cooper Siegle Community Library Pittsburgh Post-Gazette article ; Fox Chapel Living article ; Trib article
Intr(au)spective article by Brandon Getz “June 5, 2015 Pittsburgh Society of Artists Intr[au]spective is Solid Gold”.
Pittsburgh Post Gazette article by Bob Podurgiel about Internationally Inspired: A Response to the 2013 Carnegie International, March 27, 2014.
Pittsburgh Magazine article about The New Collective January 2014
The Tartan, Carnegie Mellon’s Student Newspaper November 25, 2013. Sarah Moss-Horwitz writes about I Made it! for the Holidays Market. “Craft fair promotes homespun holiday gifts, Pittsburgh-based I Made It! Market” provides exposure for local businesses and artists”. Mentions my Schenley Park map and my newest product, Schenley Park map printed on ceramic tiles.
Pittsburgh by Pittsburgh Artists! An Exhibition at Irma Freeman Center for the Imagination, catalogue author /curator Sheila Ali, 2011, published by the IF Center. IF gallery created a high quality catalogue of the exhibit. $35 and available through sheiladianeali@gmail.com. Bill O’Driscoll wrote a few words about the catalogue (I get a shout out yeah!) See last paragraph of his roundup.
Three Rivers Arts Festival 2011 project with kids, using my silly ink drawing of Dollar Bank’s historic building at Fourth Ave and Smithfield. Photography and blog by Renee Rosensteel
Pittsburgh Post Gazette writer Diana Nelson Jone’s blogs about my work, Nov 26, 2010
“Interview with an Artist” (Carol Skinger) by Rachel Adair, Shady Ave magazine, Winter 2010.
“Pittsburgh Society of Artists exhibit gives smaller works a platform,” by Kurt Shaw, Pittsburgh Tribune-Review, April 21, 2010.
“Five Questions to a Member,” by Charlena “Pudge” Cunningham, Pittsburgh Society of Artists Newsletter, Summer 2010.
“A Lesson in Architecture” by Tracy Certo, AIA Columns, scroll to pages 10-12, Vol 20 No 7, September 2006.
“Students add some vivid art to Allentown business district’s architecture,” by Diana Nelson Jones, associated multi-media slide show by Annie O’ Neill and Diana Nelson Jones, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, May 18, 2006.
Subjects: landscape, bicycling, camping, structures, house portraits, ink series on Pittsburgh, Ocean and Water’s Edge, Fake Urban Plan for East Liberty, Animal Kingdom
Prints: Schenley Park Vintage Map, Poster series “Homage to Famous Pittsburghers”: consisting of Homage to August Wilson, Homage to Rachel Carson
Greeting cards of my art and photography