Old Stone Shed

JEFF DONNELLY
​630 17th Street

I began painting in 1971 while attending a community college in Springfield, Illinois. Common wisdom around campus was that the Art Appreciation class was an easy “A”. Well that sounded good to me, as I needed something to fulfill the humanities requirement in order to graduate. This was the first time I had ever been exposed to ART and was instantly hooked. Fortunately, a part of the class involved hands-on painting with acrylics, which was the beginning of a long and happy association with brush and paint.

I switched to oil paint within a year and have never looked back. Oil paint to me is “real” paint (sorry to acrylic painters) as it just feels right, smells right, and looks lovely. I have been painting now for 47 years and hope to one day get it right…but there’s no rush. Without trying to sound too egotistical, I am happy to say that I have had some success with exhibitions and sales throughout the years, but to me the act of painting is reward enough.
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Artist Statement I paint because it gives me a great deal of pleasure. I really have no profound words of wisdom to impart. I paint because I feel a need to do so and it makes me happy…most of the time! When a painting is finished I look at it for awhile, sometimes repainting areas, which drives my wife crazy especially if she likes the first incarnation. Afterwards I kind of lose interest in that painting and can’t wait to get started on the next one. The famous English painter and illustrator Arthur Rackham was once asked to name his favorite painting, and without hesitation he said, “The next one.” I couldn’t agree more.

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Rolling Hills with Flowers

Spring Flowers