Written by Leslie Wright, Managing Director

Being a newcomer to the team at Gallery MAR, I’ve been diving into the incredible works of our artists, and one name that keeps drawing me in is Warren Neary. What’s captivated me most is how he uses studies—those smaller, exploratory pieces—to build his final works. Seeing the evolution from study to finished work has given me a new appreciation for the depth and precision for this process.

Studies are like an artistic playground, where the artist experiments with light, mood, and composition before committing to a larger piece. Take Warren Neary’s study for Morning Flow. It’s a beautifully intimate take on the soft light of a river at dawn. Comparing it to the final painting, you can see how this initial study set the tone for the tranquility of his finished piece. It’s fascinating to watch the journey unfold from a raw idea to polished work of art.

And Neary is not the only artist to use this process.  Bridgette Meinhold uses the study process often.  The study for “Shades of Purple” has a misty feel with gradient hues that set the stage for her final piece which is a dreamy vision of nature.

These studies let us see the artist’s hand at work, making the creative process tangible and real. I’m curious—which draws you in more: the raw exploration of the study or the polished refinement of the final painting? I’d love to hear which resonates more with you.