Mare McClellan

McClellan’s pieces—a mix of paintings and sculptures—recall images of excavated root systems that she encountered in her youth. Since then, as a gardener and plant observer, as well as artist, she has been fascinated by the coexistence of roots and soil organisms and how they share resources. “To me, it’s so full of life energy that the subtle vibration is palpable and radiant,” she says. Her paintings, though abstract in feeling, recall these web-like root systems, as do her canvases with passages of stitched wire and her wall sculptures that are created by wrapping wire over twine.

McClellan, who holds a BA in Fine Art from Rutgers University, has exhibited her paintings and sculpture extensively in the Delaware River region, including the Hrefna Jonsdottir Gallery, New Hope Arts Center, and the annual Phillips Mill Juried Exhibition.