Maureen Spinale, painter

A Connection with Divine Harmony

"I have a passion for painting trees, finding myself drawn to the complexities of tangled branches and fractured light beams through the forest. Trunks twisted, bent and straight, sort of like human beings. They teach us about life, strength and frailties, endurance, weathering the storms and looking up to the light of the sky.

The Hudson River School Artists believed studying the land led to enlightenment and a connection with Divine Harmony. That connection is what I strive to capture in my paintings: the Spirit of it all."

Maureen Spinale was born in Portsmouth, Virginia, but has lived most of her life in the Boston, Massachusetts area.
Spinale's love of drawing and painting began early in childhood, with the encouragement and support of an elementary teacher, but raising two boys and a career in Social Work meant her interest in art had to take a back seat until later in life. Following an early retirement, Spinale began studying at North River Art Society and the South Shore Art Center, where she fell in love with the medium of pastel under the
instruction of Donna Rossetti-Bailey and Liz Haywood-Sullivan. She furthered her studies with workshops facilitated by internationally- known pastel artists.

An avid student, Spinale is enrolled in regular workshops today, continually honing her skills and adapting her approach to the medium. She has been inspired by renowned tonalists Francis Murphy, George Inness and Charles Warren Eaton. Most recently, she has studied under Tom Christopher, Ken Elliot, and Casey Klahn. These masters have influenced her style, which has evolved from a realistic approach to a more
contemporary perspective flecked with bold colors, strong lines, light, and even the use of drizzled paint for dimension and texture.

Today, Spinale is an award winning artist exhibiting in Boston, Cape Cod, and Albuquerque, New Mexico. Spinale was granted signature membership in the Pastel Society of America in 2010, Signature Membership in the Pastel Society of Cape Cod in 2013, and in June 2015 was honored with the Master Circle Award from the International Association of Pastel Societies. In 2016 she became a South Shore Art Center Gallery Artist.