March 4 - April 29, 2023
From Foltz Fine Art:
“Beginning March 4th, 2023, Foltz Fine Art presents Somewhere Beyond by Leila McConnell (b. 1927). Somewhere Beyond features approximately 30 works, including works on canvas and collages created by McConnell throughout her life. Across all media, McConnell’s work reflects an ability to transport viewers to a place that extends beyond what is immediately visible or familiar. Similarly, her works maintain a certain affective quality as they often evoke feelings of belonging, curiosity, peace, and even despair among viewers. Somewhere Beyond invites viewers to examine McConnell’s body of work, to question what is seen, and consequently, to think deeply about what transpires within themselves. McConnell moved to Houston with her family in 1933 and enrolled at Rice Institute (now Rice University) after graduating from high school. While at Rice, McConnell studied architecture with Professor James Chillman, who later became the Founding Director at the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston. McConnell credits Chillman with an influence on her design and the ability to proportion certain elements of her work. Upon completing her undergraduate degree, McConnell furthered her formal artistic training at the Museum School, which is now the Glassell School, at the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston. McConnell’s presence and participation in the Houston arts scene is noted as early as the mid-twentieth century. Although she primarily focused on still-life works and portraiture at the beginning of her career, McConnell’s approach became more abstract following the summer of 1949 when she attended the San Francisco School of Fine Arts. McConnell continued to develop her own painting methods, such as her blending techniques, after a trip to Italy in 1960. While in Italy, McConnell was struck by the blending and texturing of paint specifically found in frescos. To achieve a comparable effect with oil and canvas, McConnell under-painted her canvases and relied on her fingers rather than paint brushes to blend different oil pigments. The stucco buildings populated throughout Italy also inspired the misty quality in a majority of McConnell’s canvases. In 1976, McConnell began creating paper collages, some of which served as studies for larger works on canvas while others were complete works in their own right. While McConnell no longer works with oil on canvas, her earlier paintings reflect the visual and physical qualities of collage through strong delineated edges and symmetrical composition. Somewhere Beyond is on view at Foltz Fine Art from March 4th – April 29th, 2023. “
Reception: March 4, 2023 | 6–8 pm
2143 Westheimer Road
Houston, 77098 TX
(713) 521-7500
Get directions