Mosaic, New Pastels by Tia Maggio

Reception with the Artist
February, 6, 2016  | 4 – 7 pm

A native New Yorker, Tia Maggio, was formally trained in graphic design and advertising at Pratt Institute, she went on to the University of Massachusetts, Amherst, to study fine art and art history.

Tia pulls her inspiration from nature as “it is the only thing that really makes sense to me—wild sunsets, storms, brambles and branches.” Once described as a tonalist, she describes herself as a nature based expressionist.

“I like the immediacy of pastels because you can manipulate them with your fingers—and don’t have to wait for paint to dry! I could never really tell you what colors I use, I just reach for them instinctively, like cooking without a recipe—a pinch of this, a splash of that … Creating my art is a personal and intuitive process for me. I don’t like to intellectualize and wax on about my paintings. I start a visual story and let the viewer finish it. Nothing is more pleasing than to hear someone say, ‘oh that reminds me of…’ or ‘this painting makes me feel…’ My creation becomes their story by evoking an emotion or a memory.”

Her pastels of sloping Piedmont hills and skies have been exhibited locally in Northern Virginia and New York City, and are in private collections in the U.S., Italy, Southern France, and most recently, Guatamala