McLean is a self-taught figurative and abstract painter known for her unique portraits and statement pieces.
A storyteller at heart, McLean's paintings are narratives of her own journey and psyche, influenced by her studies of mythos and legend. Sensual, spiritual, distinctly honest, and greatly inspired by the Hero's Journey, these pieces follow a protagonist, Every Woman, through her birth, suffering, contradictions, growth, lovers, and death. She paints in oil, acrylic, watercolor, and ink. |
McLean has exhibited in galleries across the US, painted murals in Washington DC, Asheville NC, and Richmond VA, and illustrated two children's books.
She was a 2016 recipient of Style Weekly's Women in The Arts award, and was a featured artist in Curatorial, Volume 2; Leaders in Contemporary Art, in 2018. All artwork in the shop below is one-of-a-kind and can be shipped globally. Contact her to commission your own artwork, or to book your own live event painter for private or corporate events. |
ART SHOP
Cassandra, 40" x 20"
Mixed media (oil and acrylic) on stretched canvas.
40" tall by 20" wide by 1.5" deep.
Named for the prophet Cassandra from greek mythology, the Trojan priestess cursed with the gift of foresight, this fiery piece can be described as vivid, inspiring, and empowering, vivid.
Series: Meliorism
Element: fire
Chakra exploration: third eye
*The sides of this painting are unfinished, as the paint splatter was too delicious to paint over.
August, 48" x 36"
Acrylic on stretched canvas
48" tall by 36" wide by 1.5" deep
McLean's most recent piece, painted in October 2021, is a story from August. Lush with bright hues, this large abstract painting invites the audience to imagine a new narrative every time they look upon it.
Ophelia, 48" x 24"
Mixed media (oil and acrylic) on stretched canvas.
48" tall by 24" wide by 1.5" deep.
This watery companion piece to Azazello is named for Shakespeare's doomed female counterpart to his Hamlet. This large statement piece is feminine, sensual, incredibly textured, and quite simply a work of art.
Series: Meliorism
Element: water
Chakra exploration: throat and crown
*The sides of this painting are unfinished, as the hand print was just too interesting.
Titania, 30" x 24"
Oil on stretched canvas.
24" wide by 30" tall by 1.5" deep.
Inspired by the fairy queen of the same name from Shakespeare's A Midsummer Night's Dream, this richly textured oil painting is romantic, airy, and mesmerizing to the mind.
Series: Meliorism
Element: air
Chakra exploration: heart and solar plexus
Thomasina, 48" x 60"
Mixed media on stretched canvas.
48" tall by 60" wide by 1.5" deep
Named for the female protagonist in Tom Stoppard's play Arcadia, Thomasina explores The Chaos Theory. The first in the In Private series, painted during quarantine in March of 2020, this piece examines each chakra and their response to the lockdown.
Elevation, 40" x 30"
Mixed media (oil and acrylic) on stretched canvas.
40" tall by 30" wide by 1.5" deep.
A reflection of McLean's own spiritual journey, and a love story. Elevation tells of forgiving one's self, accepting the shadows from our past, inviting our mystic self to grow, and allowing love and romance back in to our lives, through the magic of invisible energy. Painted during the pandemic, from her In Private Series.
Alice, 24" x 18"
Acrylic on stretched canvas.
24" tall by 18" wide by 1.5" deep.
Whimsical and mysterious, this painting begs to be explored close up. The juxtaposition of the bright colors and flirtatious florals combined with the deep sadness within the eyes of the young woman bring questions to everyone who looks upon her.
Series: Meliorism
Amor, 18" x 24"
Acrylic on stretched canvas
18" tall by 24" long by 1.5" deep
Sometimes love feels foreign, when we haven't allowed it in before. This personal, figurative, abstract poured out of the brush and onto the canvas. It begged to exist.
Th'inconstant Moon, 20" x 20"
Acrylic on stretched canvas.
20" tall by 20" wide by 1.5" deep.
An intimate portrait of a lover. The moon echoes his own waxing and waning, and the title remembers Juliet's plea in Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet, "O swear not by the moon, th'inconstant moon".
Series: In private.
Maryam, 36" x 36"
Acrylic on stretched canvas.
36" tall and 36" wide and 1.5" deep.
This large figure painting is impressive in its brave application of the primary colors, blue, red, and yellow. The androgynous features and expression shift from masculine to female, from fatigue to resolve, challenging the viewer to bestow upon the face their own self.
Series: meliorism.
Azazello, 48" x 30"
Oil on stretched canvas.
48" tall by 30" wide by 1.5" deep.
The companion painting to Ophelia, Azazello is a true statement piece on its own. Impressive in size, with bold, textured brushstrokes, this earthy and dramatic painting is named for a vampire in Russian folklore.
Series: Meliorism
Element: earth
Chakra exploration: root and sacral
Young Hero, 40" x 30"
Mixed media (oil and acrylic) on stretched canvas.
40" tall by 30" wide by 1.5" deep.
Young Hero is a portrait of a close friend of McLean's. This collaboration of model and artist tells the story of exhaustion the young black man in America faces. Here we witness a moment of meditation, as he leans on a window by his bed, building himself back up again.
Series: meliorism.
Faded, 20" x 20"
Acrylic on stretched canvas.
20" tall by 20" wide by 1.5" deep.
An unassuming, sensual representation of the battle between technology and nature. The young woman clings to her phone as the world changes around her, enveloping her. The sacral and throat chakras are brought to our attention, asking important questions about what drives our need to express ourselves.
Series: Meliorism
Morning, 20" x 20"
Acrylic on stretched canvas.
20" tall by 20" wide by 1.5" deep.
A delicate and subtle figure painting, Morning plays with light using feminine hues and curves. A soft, small piece, with colors and form very pleasing to the eye.
Series: Nudes
Sunburn, 24" x 24"
Acrylic on stretched canvas.
24" tall by 24" wide by 1.5" deep.
This dramatic and alluring piece is highly contemporary in its use of messy brush strokes and saturated color contrast. Sexy and unabashed, Sunburn makes a bold statement.
Series: Nudes
The Kiss 24" x 18"
Acrylic on stretched canvas.
24" tall by 18" wide by 1.5" deep.
The title is a nod to Klimt's famous The Kiss. The first of three paintings of Lovers from McLean's In Private series, The Kiss tells a romantic, gentle story of love and tenderness.
Madonna, 24" x 36"
Mixed media (oil and acrylic) on stretched canvas.
24" tall by 36" wide and 1.5" deep.
The second of the Lovers paintings from McLean's In Private series, Madonna is named to honor all of the pieces sharing its title. Here we see a woman, haloed and divine, rising out of the waters of man. The man feeds both sexually and literally off of her, and she looks down on him. A conversation piece; bold, sexy, and unapologetic.
Love is, 18" x 24"
Acrylic on stretched canvas.
18" tall by 24" wide by 1.5" deep.
The third of The Lovers pieces from McLean's In Private series, this painting, Love is, captivates all who look upon it. Passionate and enticing, this piece is for those unafraid of love and life.
Exorcism of Doubt, 20" x 20"
Mixed media (oil and acrylic) on stretched canvas.
20" tall by 20" wide by 1.5" deep.
Uncharacteristically dark, yet still hopeful, Exorcism of Doubt is a deeply personal piece for McLean. Fear and doubt are expelled like black tar from her mouth, mid scream. The contrast against the soft yellow and pretty periwinkle suggest beauty and hope in the future.
Series: meliorism
Ego Death, 20" x 20"
Acrylic on stretched canvas
20" tall by 20" wide by 1.5" deep
A painting of the hero's journey. After climbing a mountain, cutting her own head off, and killing worldly parts of herself, a woman faces a ladder she must now climb. Vibrant colors, deep questions, and both pain and beauty live on this modest canvas.
Becoming, 20" x 20"
Mixed media on stretched canvas
20" wide by 20" tall by 1.5" deep
As violent as it is beautiful, the Hero's Journey is told clearly and deeply on this small canvas. The killing of darlings, the little deaths we must commit in order to change, and grow. The flowers in the background juxtapose the hard reality that death is never easy. but always fruitful.
Wanderer, 20" x 20"
Acrylic on stretched canvas
20" tall by 20" wide by 1.5" deep
A colorful portrait of a nomad, lost in his mind, in nature, in music, in himself.
Sanctuary, 24" x 24"
Oil on stretched canvas.
24" tall by 24" wide by 1.5" deep.
A dreamlike version of McLean's art studio in Washington DC, painted in shades of white. Incredibly textured and packed with camouflaged images from McLean's mind, Sanctuary is as much a retreat for the eyes now, as it was a retreat for her soul then.
Series: In private
Seshat, 36" x 36"
Acrylic painting on stretched canvas.
36" tall by 36" wide by 1.5" deep.
Inspired by Seshat, the Greek goddess of wisdom, knowledge, and writing, as well as the third eye chakra, this piece evokes a sense of wonder and hope. The collective consciousness shared between all living creatures and elements largely influences McLean's work, and is seen most clearly in this grand, colorful piece.
Series: Meliorism.
Moonlight, 20" x 30"
Oil on stretched canvas.
20" tall by 30" wide by 1.5" deep.
Incredibly layered and textured, this mono chromatic abstract is enchanting. Swirls of whites and silvers make this airy, calming piece a delight for the eye and a subtle accent for any wall.
Series: In Private
Clarion, 20" x 20"
Oil on stretched canvas.
20" tall x 20" wide x 1.5" deep
Clarion, meaning clarity and brightness, is a lively, layered abstract meant to delight the eye and intrigue the mind.
Series: In Private
Refuge, 24" x 36"
Oil on stretched canvas
24" tall by 36" wide by 1.5" deep
A deeply textured abstract, Refuge gives the audience the opportunity to see their own unique vision within the many layers of rich oil paint. The soft yellows and blues are calming and harmonious.
Heartsong, 12" x 16"
Oil on stretched canvas
12" tall by 16" long by 1.5" deep
Though small in frame, this lovely abstract is a statement piece all by itself. Heartsong paints a love story with the Self.
Rebirth 16" x 40"
Oil on stretched canvas
16" tall by 40" long by 1.5' deep
Painted in 2021 this is the first piece McLean painted after a rare illness nearly took her life. The abstract celebrates second chances, and as the title suggest, rebirth.
Meraki, 48" x 36"
Mixed Media on stretched canvas.
48" tall by 36" wide by 1.5" deep.
Meraki means to put part of yourself into your creation. While most of McLean's pieces are self portraits, this dynamic statement piece, which includes a photograph or her at its center, is the most complex of the paintings she has made of herself. She captures the two karmic sides of herself in relation to her physical body, and also to the rest of the universe. The combination of text, photography, and oil and acrylic paint make for a truly interesting and impressive work of art.
Series: Meliorism
Heidi, 18" x 24"
Acrylic on stretched canvas
18" tall by 24" wide by 1.5" deep
From Wendy Wasserstein's play The Heidi Chronicles, a play and character near and dear to McLean's heart, came the inspiration for this manic self portrait, the first in a series of portraits she began in 2016.
“I'm not going to throw my imagination away. I refuse to lie down to expectation.” - Wendy Wasserstein
Marina, 24" x 18"
Acrylic on stretched canvas
24" wide by 18" tall by 1.5" deep
Named for Shakespeare's ingenue in Pericles, this romantic piece is simple and thought provoking. Is she going or coming, and to, or from, where?
Resurrection, 30" x 40" - SOLD
Mixed media (oil and acrylic) stretched canvas.
30" tall and 40" wide and 2" deep.
This painting is a deeply personal piece for McLean. In this portrait of a lover, embodied by the watery depths of both ice and swamp, McLean fuses together the natural and supernatural elements of coming back to life after a near death experience.
Series: meliorism.
Mother, framed 16" x 20"
8" x 10", and 16" x 20" with white frame (included).
A haunting piece, distorted and bold. The eyes of the mother and her child pull you in, as if asking to be released.
Her, 16" x 20"
Pen and ink on paper.
8" x 10", and 16" x 20" with white frame (included).
A dramatic portrait figure study, Her pulls you in and doesn't let you go.