A STUDIO VISIT WITH MINDY MCCONNELL
My trip up the mountain to Olinda – on a steep winding road from Makawao two and a half miles – brings me to the rustic A-frame in the woods. This is the mountain aerie of Amanda or "Mindy" McConnell, a studio filled with small found objects laden with symbolic meaning to the artist, the eclectic book collection of an educated modern woman, myriad paintings begun but not ended like a continued story, palettes discarded and waiting to be changed into another life by the magic wand of the artist's imagination.

In the main house below the studio, almost like a continuation, Mindy surrounds herself with the paintings for her new show "Psyche" at Viewpoints Gallery, Makawao. "Psyche I" is also the title for a dramatic image of a Polynesian princess, which the artist remarks, is an archtypical image with universal meaning.There is also a female nude painted in a relaxed pose, the colors soft, the brush strokes evident. Further on is a fine portrait of Damien, a little boy playing with the dragon and St. George, symbolic perhaps of the artist's own life challenge of an autistic son, now 16 years old. In an unresponsive system, the struggle will somehow be transcended.

A Kwan Yin figure in a garden here reveals the goddess of mercy, a gentle figure rising out of heart shaped anthuriums. Another painting, a basic still life, incorporates objects of personal meaning to the artist – her grandmother's nightgown, an antique pitcher, used ballet toe-shoes.

The core of the show is the palette paintings, which begin from abstraction, the brightly colored residue on an oil painter's palette, and go on to shape a theme with some figurative imagery. For instance, in "Angel Saves the Broken Heart of the World" by purification of fire, an angel catches and saves the heart of the world. In another palette painting, "Pele's Rage", volcanic fires cool in the ocean. In yet another palette painting, "The Mermaid" listens to the sound of the sea, the unconscious.

The artist comments that in the series she has solidified the palette painting process, working from a non-figurative source and from memory of past figurative work, perhaps into yet another area of abstraction. Mindy, a graduate of lengthy classical art training, comments that she still gains satisfaction from painting a good portrait. "You can't help but reveal something of yourself as well as the subject." She also comments that while light defines form, she is not systematic about color, just "paints till it feels right". She uses transparent glazes to build up layers of depth. In her show, the artist presents oil paintings along with some fine charcoal drawings for variety, and an original lithograph, a self portrait with a personal dragon, reminiscent of the angst of Kathe Kollwitz.

Mindy, her husband John and their son have lived in the house in the woods for 16 years, since the birth of Daniel. In the artist's words, "Daniel has been an inspiration, my biggest joy and sorrow. It is a privilege – you find out what is important in life. The experience can only deepen you as a human being. Daniel speaks with his eyes and smile."

"Psyche" shows from January 18th to February 8th, 2001. The artist's reception on Saturday, January 20th from 5:30 to 8 pm has music provided by well known harp player Maria Valentine and flutist Barry Fried.

Margaret Bedell
January, 2001

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