Abe Madey

Abe Madey and his family live near Claverack, NY. He has a background in Atmospheric Sciences and works primarily teaching math and science at the Hawthorne Valley Waldorf school. Painting and drawing have always been something that he has enjoyed and practiced on his own time as a way to balance his other work.

Artist Statement:

I paint landscapes mostly because I’m an “atmospheric romantic”. That is, I am beguiled by the play of light outdoors, whether it’s a billowing cloud bank on the horizon, cool afternoon shadows over a footpath or a hot summer haze muting the landscape. Putting these atmospheric feelings into a painting is a challenge and also my way of connecting with the beauty. I work primarily outdoors (or “En plein air”) and seldom from photographs. I have been doing this for over 25 years and while I usually have a good of what I want to paint when I begin, no painting has ever got to plan. Watercolor has it’s own way on the paper and  there is always an intriguing element that slips in that I didn’t anticipate or account for. Not every painting attempt works out and even when one does, I seldom regard it as a finished artistic statement. Rather each painting  is, for me, a prelude to another possibility, and an inspiration to go out and paint again.