Originally from Charlotte, NC, Meredith Steele received a BFA from Savannah College of Art and Design and MFA from Winthrop University. Her figurative paintings reflect a bold palette, expressive brushwork, and, in many of her works, recycled collage materials. She sees the figures as blocks of observed and invented color, with acute linear qualities and value structures. She moves color around the surface and plops it quickly into positive and negative spaces. Edges are often repainted to keep them bold and contrasting. There is a constant search for dynamic compositions, active surfaces, and intense color combinations.

The figure paintings represented here are selections from her three-hour figure studies done while working with the East Bay Figure Painting Group in Berkeley. They are acrylic on colored paper; Meredith shares that “I like working with the vibrant background and allowing bits of the color to show through as I paint the figure.”

Currently, Meredith lives and works in Oakland, CA. More of her work can be seen at her website, www.meredithsteele.com