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Rusty Kinnunen Bio

Rusty Kinnunen studied painting at Massachusetts College of Art and Design, graduating in 2004 with a BFA. Later, with a full time job and a young family, Rusty turned to plein air painting to maintain his creativity, painting along the coast in the early mornings before work and exhibiting his paintings at a local co-op gallery. This led to creating an art business in 2012 with his wife, Rusty & Ingrid Screen Prints, which they have grown into a successful printmaking gallery in Rockport, Massachusetts. 

While much of his art practice is the process-oriented work of handmade silkscreen prints, he has continually returned to the “all at once” challenge of plein air painting throughout his career. Beyond just the enjoyment of exploring the outdoors, the appeal of plein air painting for him is an intuitive connection to a moment in time and to a particular point of view. 

His subject matter includes everyday scenes around coastal Cape Ann, as well as scenes around the home. When painting, he looks for interesting light, geometry, and a hint of a story. Light motivates the scene, livens the colors, and sets the moment in time. Geometry refers to finding interesting shapes in a scene as well as an interesting composition. Most often the narrative element is evidence of time passing, or something that people have left behind, inviting the viewer to contemplate the story of the scene. 

His preferred medium is gouache on paper for the simplicity of set up, variety of textures, and the way it encourages efficient brush work.