Artist Maggie Capettini

The Tri-Cities are booming with arts and artists — perhaps nowhere more vibrantly than Batavia’s Water Street Studios, which hosts events, galleries and up to 25 artists in residence. Each month, Kane County Magazine and Water Street Studios are partnering to highlight artists and their work.

Water Street Studios artist Maggie Capettini defines her drive and purpose with a need to paint.

“It is an urge, a compulsion,” says Capettini. “It’s an addiction, if you will, complete with rituals, highs, and lows. Unabashedly, confidently, informedly colorful, involving the texture and surface of the paint itself, my paintings interpret the landscape and nature in both representational and abstract ways. I seek to create authentically, to “feel the rush,” to puzzle, ponder, and grow as a creating, creative human.”

In 2011, Capettini discovered her favorite medium in a workshop after a childhood full of outdoor discoveries. “Today, nature inspires much of my work, in both representational and abstract expressions,” says Capettini. “I paint en plein air and from life whenever possible, including in my own gardens where my motto is ’plant what I like to paint.’”

Capettini received her bachelor’s degree in Studio Art and has a Master of Arts in Teaching. She has also studied at Palette and Chisel in Chicago. You can find many of her paintings in museums and galleries throughout Batavia, West Chicago, Warrenville and other private collections, globally.

Having grown up in Batavia, Capettini was naturally drawn to Water Street Studios and admires the studio’s cultural impact in the region. “I have been a Water Street Studios School of Art instructor since late 2021,” says Capettini. “Water Street Studios brings together art exhibits, events and outreach; studio spaces with contemporary artists actively working in a variety of media; and art appreciators and creatives of all ages from communities up and down the Fox River and beyond.”

Perhaps it is no surprise the Morton Arboretum is one of Capettini’s inspirations and a haven for her to paint outdoors. “There are so many beautiful scenes, with woods and water, prairies and pines,” says Capettini. “The many parking areas allow me to do my car camping style of plein air painting, where I can pack heavier and not have to walk too far to find a good scene to paint.”

Art is central to Capettini’s life and her awesinspiring talent showcases her passion. “Art has the ability to bring people together and build community if it is done with community in mind,” says Capettini. “Artistic expression has existed for as long as we humans have existed, and modern studies show that it plays a vital role in everything from the health of our bodies and brains to the health of our towns and economies.”

Painter and instructor Maggie Capettini has two decades worth of experience and several awards to her name. She is an instructor for both children and adults and continues to paint breathtaking works of natureinspired artistry while maintaining a successful rapport with her students.

DETAILS OF Maggie Capettini's WORK:

See her work at www.maggiecapettini.com or follow @maggiepaints on Instagram and Facebook.

u Sunny Glow: oil on cradled board, 12.5x8.5", available v Early Summer at Schweikher House: oil on cradled board, 14x11", available w Square Vibes: Ghost Vibes: oil on canvas, 24x24", available

Aster and Hibiscus Leaves: oil on oil primed linen panel, 6x8", available

For more information on the artist of the month, head to www.waterstreetstudios.org or the organization’s social media pages.

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Month with a book by a female author. Here are two recommendations for your March reading list, courtesy of the librarians at Geneva Public Library.