Her current work in oil and cold wax evolves through adding and subtracting layers of material. Working in this manner, she builds a history through strata of paint. Some layers are exposed, some transparent, and others are reduced to subtle traces. Her intention is to infuse the surface with a sense of space and energy through remnants of form, color and line, allowing chaos to dictate and reveal the outcome.
Cahill's creative passion began in childhood attending summer classes at the Corcoran School of Art in DC, followed by degrees from Old Dominion University and Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University. She has been an award winning Tampa painter for the past twenty years, participating in Gasparilla, Coconut Grove, Winter Park, Festival of the Masters, Naples Invitational, Artigras, Mt. Dora, and Mainsail Arts Festivals and teaching workshops in watercolors, oil pastels and mixed media. When she is not in her painting studio, she can be found at the barn, riding and training horses.
ARTIST STATEMENT
My passion for painting and drawing began in childhood attending summer classes at the Corcoran School of Art in Washington, D.C. and continues to this day. I have taught workshops in watercolors, oil pastels and mixed media.
Presently, I reside in Florida surrounded by lush vivid landscapes of intense colors cast against bright sunlight and then dimmed by surreal evening sunsets. It is this exotic backdrop that has developed my color sense and energetic compositions. The complexity of this environment invites freedom and exploration in producing painterly images. My goal is to create paintings that merely whisper a sense of familiarity in the subject or location while evoking a sense of timelessness.
My most current work in the medium of oil is process driven allowing imagery to evolve through the progression of adding and subtracting layers of paint. Working in this manner, each finished piece has its own unique story and history buried in the stratums of paint. Some layers are exposed, marked and textured while others are transparent or hidden all but for subtle traces of their existence. My intention is to alter a two dimensional surface with a sense of space and energy by developing patterns and remnants of forms, colors and lines that in the end are all unified to speak the same unique language. I must be open to allow the chaos of this painting method to divulge and dictate the direction and conclusion of my paintings. Many times, I have given up the painting I had planned, so as to have the one that was waiting to be revealed. Painting, in this manner, like life, is a challenging mysterious and ever evolving personal journey.