Paintings By Mcgovern

I was born and raised in a small town in Massachusetts, where creativity and the need to craft was always a big part of my identity.  After High School, I received my Bachelor in Fine Arts at Massachusetts College of Art, where I studied photography and the process of developing and printing silver gelatin images. 

Unfortunately, after graduation, like so many artists, I decided that entering the main stream, corporate world would offer better opportunities to build a future and financial stability, necessary to achieve the dreams that I held for myself; a home, travel, financial security, and eventually retirement.

In my 50’s, the internal struggle between needing to be creative and staying within the confines of a corporate life became too great to ignore. I needed more self-expression other than the usual weekend interests of gardening, quilting, making Clear Toy Candies, music, crafting and entertaining.  Photography was not the answer.  I needed something organic, immediate and cathartic, something that would allow me to be spontaneous and able to evolve. Never having studied painting, I bought my first brushes, oils and canvas, and thought that at least, this would be a temporary solution to what I needed. I found that I was totally wrong.

My initial and experimental paintings slowly morphed into the work that I produce today.  They are colorful, light, positive images that reflect the happiness and contentment that I feel today, having allowed myself to tap into my creativity and devote more time to painting.  In 2016 I started “Paintings by McGovern” on the Facebook platform and have been successful in several Worcester gallery exhibitions and local independent shops. I decided in 2023 to leave corporate life all together and devote full time attention to what I feel that I was really meant to do; paint.  

I am grateful that I had not studied the masters and painting in college, for it allows me to paint with my own creative voice.  My style is unique to me, a mix of expressionism and impressionism and sometimes a little pointillism. I am very grateful for those who appreciate my vision, and understand that art should be an ever-changing process, full of growth, risk taking, and experimentation. 

I have learned that framing your collection of artworks is a very personal decision. I used to frame all of my pieces because I felt that it made a complete product, but understand that this is a double-edged sword. My taste in frames, may not be your aesthetic, even though the painted image is really what you want. You shouldn't have to pass up on a painting just because the frame is not your choice.

In order to keep my webbsite simple, I have decided to offer my works UNFRAMED, but in very common/standard sizes. I am doing this , in order to allow collectors of my work, to be able to personalize the images to their own living interiors. I have factored out the cost of most retail-available frames when pricing my work.

I keep a small inventory of simple frames on hand for gallery shows and local collectors who who  want their pieces complete.  Frames add considerable cost to shipping, due to special handling and added weight. If you are local, and will be arranging a pick-up of your piece, a framed piece might be right for you.

If I am ordering a frame specifically for your piece, please understand that I have no control over availability, fluctuating cost, and delivery time. 

I try to make my painting experience and my options simple. Luckily, I have found canvas sizes that are comfortable to me, and allow me to be creative without having to think about what size an image is going to be.  I love the 16x20 and the 8x10 size canvas.  These two allow me to express what I want to while subconsciously being aware of the boundaries that I am working with.

Because I use just a few sizes, I can price the shipping based on previous shipping costs on similar sizes. I sell all of my paintings UNFRAMED to help save cost of shipping. 

I bring my canvases to UPS and they do all the packing and shipping and quoted my 130.00 shipping charge.  Please ask any questions regarding shipping BEFORE you purchase a painting. I will gladly  work within your budget and time restraints as best that I can. Once again, please remember that once a package leaves my hands, I have no control over its journey to you.