CV/Bio
Versatile artist Rebecca McNeely paints in oil and water-based media, creating award-winning expressive abstracts, mixed media works and representational paintings. An avid reader, photographer, writer and traveler, Rebecca’s paintings flow from an intuitive and perceptual response to public and personal experience and events. Her paintings represent a fusion of her love of color, of nature, and of fearless and free expression.
She paints largely from her imagination, sometimes drawing on her lifetime of photographs for inspiration and to spark memory. Much of her work is a continuing investigation of landscape in painterly abstracted shape, line and texture--rich with color and gesture.
Education and experience
Rebecca has studied painting at The Art League of Alexandria and Northern Virginia Community College in Alexandria VA and San Mateo College and The School of Light and Color in California. Her education includes a Bachelors from the University of Kansas, Lawrence, and Masters in Art work from George Washington University, DC.
Her earlier career included writing and communications for National Geographic Society News Service, National Geographic Traveler, Nature Conservancy International and Pacific Northwest Ballet. After many years pursuing the arts as an avocation, she has painted full time since 1999.
She is represented by the Van Landingham Gallery and Gallery 75 at the Torpedo Factory in Alexandria. She is an active and exhibiting member of Torpedo Factory Artists Alliance, Arlington Artists Alliance and The Art League of Alexandria where she serves on the Board of Directors. She maintains a public studio at Cyan Studios in Crystal City, as well as a private home studio where she welcomes visitors by appointment. Her paintings are exhibited in numerous venues in the Washington DC area and in private collections throughout the U.S.
Selected Awards, Juried Shows and Exhibitions
June 2022 - Juried into Van Landingham Gallery in the Torpedo Factory, Alexandria, VA
2022 - Juried into numerous Art League monthly exhibitions
August 2021, Juried into Gallery Underground annual National Exhibit, "Work Shirts."
Best in Show, Gallery Underground, Arlington, VA, August 2019, "Wetland Sunrise."
"Derecho" juried into Gallery Underground, "Fire, Air, Water, Air," August 2019
Feature Story in Cyan Art Magazine, July 2019: " Color, Color, Color."
Juried into American Art Collector, 2017
Gallery Underground, Arlington:
Featured Artist: July 2017 Colorscapes: Space and Spirit
“World Aesthetics” National Exhibition, second place, October.
“Left Out,” two paintings accepted, one with Honorable Mention, September. “Visions of the Future,” February.
The Art League at The Torpedo Factory, Alexandria:
2020,
2019, Four paintings exhibited in juried virtual exhibits, Honorable Mention awards
2018, Five months of exhibition in juried exhibits
2017: March, May, September Juried Exhibits
2016: Four juried exhibits
2015: Juried Exhibits, January, April, July and October exhibit where her work earned an award.
2014: “Small and Large Works, November; “Scapes,” International Landscape show juried into all since 2007.
“Pop Art,” April, and “Abstract Expressionism Revisited, January. “(Con)Text” Exhibition, “Child’s Play” Exhibition,
Carnivale, “100 Artists,” Interaction of Color, “Small Works,” Revealed Histories as well as numerous “All Media” exhibitions annually.
The 15th edition of the biennial exhibit of the Washington branch of the Sogetsu School of Ikebana selected Rebecca’s painting as inspiration and featured it in the show in March at The Art League.
Special Award of Merit for "After the Garden Blue," Patrons Show and numerous honorable mentions in The Art League exhibits.
Selected as “Virginia Artist of the Year” by TOSCA, the twin cities arts publication, 2014.
Gallery West Annual International Juried Exhibit, Second Place.
Motherlode International Exhibition, Placerville, CA and several Northern California Arts Annual International Exhibitions, including Judge’s Choice and First Place, Northern California Arts Member Exhibition
Placerville Arts Association Member awards: First Place for Abstract Painting, First Place for Portraiture
California Art League Annual Members Exhibition–1st Place
Former California Galleries 2002-2007 include Sacramento Fine Arts, Gold Country Gallery, Placerville, and Hang it Up Gallery in Eldorado Hills, and Mistlin Gallery in Modesto.