Keara McHaffie Portfolio

KearaMcHaffie

Introduction:

Keara McHaffie is a local Boston artist and student finishing her BFA at The School of the Art Institute of Chicago. She graduated from Walnut Hill School for the Arts in 2020. While attending Walnut Hill she fell in love with fine art and found her passion for oil painting. Having fun and learning new ideas through a vibrant process is what helps make her artwork uniquely stand out. Her work primarily revolves around the idea of capturing the transitions from childhood to adult hood and how the ideas of home and idea of self change drastically over time and the natural beauty of the chaos within that all.

Keara McHaffie School of the Art Institue of Chicago Bachelors of Fine Arts - Class of 2024 617-893-6552 kearaivory12@gmail.com kearamchaffie.com

Nature Work: 6 - 15 Self Portraits: 16 - 23 City Scenes: 24 - 33 Project Summary: 34 - 35 Resume: 36 - 37 Contact: 38 - 39

Keara McHaffie

Nature Works Nature Works Nature is an essential part of my painting practice. Focusing on ideas of color and the wonder we find outside our door helps my pieces create their own fantasy to help my viewers see the beauty in our natural surroundings.

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Keara McHaffie

Nature Works

Nature Works: The process behind this series of work is a never ending investigation of discovery and experiementation. Typically most of these pieces represent symbols of locations or iconogrpahy to locations that are significant in my life. From local farm life to native flowers it is all local and representaional. Playing with textures of flower petals and details of feathers and fur, I feel that I am paying respect to the places Ive come from and the places I have learned to call home through my life.

Sweetie, 48 x 48 in, Oil on Canvas, 2021

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Keara McHaffie

Nature Works

Birthday Boquet, 16 x 20 in, Oil on Canvas, 2023

November Poppies, 16 x 20 in, Oil on Canvas, 2022

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Rhode Island Red, 20 x 40 in, Oil on Canvas, 2022

Wild Flowers, 12 x 20 in, Oil on Canvas, 2023

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Keara McHaffie

Nature Works

Boston Commons, 3 x 6ft, Oil on Canvas, 2022

The Man at The Cafe, 30 x 40 in, Oil on Canvas, 2021

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Keara McHaffie

Nature Works

Natural Forms, 10 x 10 in, Oil on Canvas, 2021

The Locals, 16 x 20 in, Oil on Canvas, 2021 Pink Penoies, 36 x 36 in, Oil on Canvas, 2020

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Keara McHaffie

Keara McHaffie

Self Portraits Overtime I have developed upon the idea of the standard self portrait and used it as a tool for self reflection and documentation of where I am and how I feel at certain moments in my life. The act of painting myself has become a way for me to document my time and also shows a visual representation of my evolution as an artist.

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Keara McHaffie

Self Portraits

Self Portraits:

Self portraits have become a significant role in my work as a painter and works not only as a piece of art but also as a documentation of time. Since 2020 I have been producing atleast one self portrait a year that shows my developments and changes as a painter and person navigating her way through life. They have become a nostalgic reminder of moments of time and remembrance. Similar to my approach with other topics I enjoy working with a wide range of colors and symbols to highlight that era of my life and hint at the timing or location to where I was and how I was feeling.

Who Is She? 36 x 36 in, Oil on Canvas, 2020

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Keara McHaffie

Figuring Myself Out, 20 x 24 in, Oil on Canvas, 2022

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Self Portraits

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Keara McHaffie

Self Portraits

Who knows what shes doing anymore 36 x 36 in Oil on Canvas, 2023

London on my Mind 30 x 40 in Oil on Canvas 2022

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Welcome to the Jungle!

3 x 6 ft, Oil on Canvas 2021

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Keara McHaffie

City Scenes As a kid I was always terrified of the city so once I lived on my own I felt like a superhero conquering my fears. Overtime the idea of the city has become tiring while dealing with adulthood and the struggles of moving and adjusting to new spaces. My cityscape paintings are representational views of how the idea of home changes as you grow up and how adulthood can mirror childhood ideas and memories.

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Keara McHaffie

City Scenes

Cityscenes: City based imagery has evolved within my practice during the last two years as a main focus to my paintings. I have created a series of pieces that are constructed images from multiple locations where I either lived, spent time, or always admired. These constructions allow me to reconstruct my reality and my perception of these locations whether positive or negative. I am taking control of my own narrative and experiences. These paintings are typically large scale and create a new atmosphere for the viewer or myself to feel they are able to step into and create their own memories and experiences within.

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My Boston, 4 x 5 ft, Oil on Canvas, 2022

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Keara McHaffie

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Cities can feel suffocating, 4 x 5 ft, Oil on Canvas, 2023

City Scenes

St. Stephens Street, 4 x 5 ft, Oil on Canvas, 2022

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Keara McHaffie

City Scenes

Somewhere in London, 16 x 20 in, Oil on Canvas, 2023

From Newbury, 30 x 40 in, Oil on Canvas, 2023 Boston x Chicago, 20 x 40 in, Oil on Canvas, 2023

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Keara McHaffie

City Scenes

Magical Mystery House, 16 x 20 in, Oil on Canvas, 2021

From Symphony, 4 x 5 ft, Oil on Canvas, 2023

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Comm Ave. 10 x 20 in, Oil on Canvas, 2021

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Keara McHaffie

Keara McHaffie

Education:

Employment:

Resume 2016 - 2024:

• 2023 - 2024 - School of the Art Institute of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois • 2022 - Study Abroad Semester at Central Saint Martins, University of the Arts London, London, England

Resume 2017 - 2023: • 2023:

- Teaching Assistant at School of the Art Institute of Chicago, September - December - Studio Art Teacher at Museum of Fine Arts Boston, June - August

• 2022: - Studio Art Intern at Museum of Fine Arts Boston, June - August - Studio Assistant at Museum of Fine Arts Boston, March - May - Museum Attendant at Mass Art Art Museum, September - May

• 2020 - 2022 - Massachusetts College of Art and Design, Boston, Massachusetts

• 2021:

• 2016 - 2020 - Walnut Hill School for the Arts, Natick Massachusetts

• 2020: - Intern at Abigail Ogilvy Gallery, March - May

- Museum Attendant at Mass Art Art Museum, September - May - Retail Sales Associate at Young Designs, June - August

- Social Media Assistant for Young Designs Gardening, May August

• 2017:

- Gallery Assistant at Harmony Winters Jewlery, June - August

Keara McHaffie kearamchaffie.com kearaivory12@gmail.com 617-893-6552