bennettgalleriesnashville

Dorsey McHugh

The artistic philosophy of Dorsey McHugh lies in her favorite quote: “Look to the light and the shadows will fall behind.” Dorsey paints with an unrestrained spontaneity, allowing colors to layer over and over to bring out her final expression. Because she revels in subtle texture, her acrylics are almost exclusively applied with a palette knife. “While I am executing the painting, I am playing – playing with color, the palette knife and the shapes. Mostly I am playing with light. Light and color are my vocal chords – there is music in painting for me.”

Dorsey infuses her landscapes with a carefree, joyful depth that celebrates the simplicity of life. Mostly simple scenes, her works are successfully designed to pull viewers in through their intrigue: what is inside those quaint houses, or just beyond that gentle hill? “I want to keep the image simple enough to enable the viewer to bring their own story in with them,” she says, “so they become part of the painting.” Her outlook is reflected through the varied poems, quotations or verse that is written on the back of her paintings. Even the titles carry inspiration: “Reason to Smile,” “Refuge Found,” “Freedom from Fear” and “Hope.”

A native of the Black Hills of South Dakota, Dorsey McHugh currently resides in Nashville. Her work can be seen in galleries across the U.S. including Washington D.C., Nashville, Atlanta, New Orleans, Sedona, Las Vegas, Carmel, Westlake Village, and Hawaii.