Meet Your
Neighbor
Lucy Kalian BY SUSAN MURPHY
L
Lucy Kalian resides in Rumson with her husband Mazin and their therapy dog Oliver. Lucy and Mazin have four grown children who visit frequently. Lucy is known for her work as a fine artist. She has held juried exhibits, shows and events at Beauregard Gallery in Rumson, D & R Greenway in Princeton, Pollack Gallery at Monmouth University in Long Branch, and Salmagundi Club in New York. This past spring she held a solo show at The Copley Society in Boston, Massachusetts which featured her “Witnesses” series. Over the years Lucy has also been recognized for her ongoing community involvement, which include being a member of the school board, a member of the Garden Club, and working with Clean Ocean Action. CM: Were you inspired by something or someone that triggered a yearning to create art? Lucy Kalian (LK): I was born with the yearning; it must be genetic. As far back as I can remember, I was fascinated with the tactile, with visual imagery, and with both historical and creative story telling. CM: You consider yourself an unintentional activist. Why? LK: It is not enough for the viewer to see the finished work. My goal is for the observer to feel the work, to understand why it was painted. I feel that visual art explains a story. (Lucy hopes that when someone views her paintings of the ocean they will see its beauty and want to focus on caring for it.) CM: Do you paint or draw daily? LK: My typical work day is from six to nine hours and more when I have a show pending. This summer, after producing large-scale graphite drawings and oil paintings for three shows back to back, I tried, unsuccessfully, to take time off. I just can’t take time off from creating. I am wired to do it. I am goal-driven and am now ready to produce for a new show. CM: How would you describe your creative process?
Lucy Kalian PHOTO CREDIT: THOMAS JACKEL 50
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LK: I begin by staging a composition that tells a story. Regardless of the quality of actual painting execution, composition determines whether or not a painting will “read”. That set, I draw a loose sketch. Once I have settled all compositional issues, I make a careful rendering, remaining as true to the subject before me as possible. When satisfied with the drawing, I transfer it on to canvas. At this point, I often paint a small value study to further familiarize myself with the subject(s). I lay in my painting with an ebauche, the first of many layers of paint. Subsequent