Quiet and contemplative scenes of Chicago neighborhoods bring to mind 17th century Dutch cityscapes. The artist is inspired by feng shui in her compositions which together with soft lighting and an even color palette take these everyday scenes to a higher level. Mary Phelan was born in 1953 in Laurium, Michigan (Upper Peninsula). She grew up in the Chicago industrial suburb of Franklin Park. The 13 paintings in this exhibition celebrated the poetry of the ordinary in the city environment.

Image: Mary Phelan, On the Face of It, 2009, oil on linen, 18×30 in., collection of the artist.