Arlene June Finley-McRee

Arlene June ("A.J.") Finley McRee, American artist (13 August 1943 - 9 April 2006). Works by this artist may bear the following signatures: Arlene Hamlin, Arlene Sherrill, Arlene Finley, A. J. Finley, A. J. Finley McRee, and AJFM.
Biography
Finley McRee was born in Gardiner, Maine on August 13, 1943, to Harry and Dorothy (Morgan) Tisdale. She grew up in rural Maine, where her father operated various small businesses; these included an automobile salvage yard, a gas station and a used car business.
Finley McRee, who was self-taught, began painting in her early 20’s and read widely on technique in various media, art history, and indigenous art throughout her life. Early works were in oil and were realistic depictions of people and landscapes. Later, she worked primarily in acrylics and caseins, and her work was dominated by abstracted landscapes and explorations of the human form. The 'Woods Edge' and 'Carolina Palms' series are characteristic of her later work. Finley McRee stated that she "prefer to paint a series of work instead of engaging in sole experiences" so that she could more fully explore her subject. In addition to painting she created sculptures in wood and stone, though these are rare. A limited number of collages (paper and acrylic) and watercolors also exist. Finley McRee’s work is notable for its ability to combine influences as diverse as Marc Chagall, Pablo Picasso and Vincent Van Gogh into works that were distinctly her own. Through the use of bold colors, fluid lines, and the incorporation of materials such as newsprint and handmade paper, Finley McRee created works with a remarkable sense of depth, movement and emotional vibrancy.
Finley McRee was also an entrepreneur and an instructor. She owned the Chosen Works gallery in Claremore, Oklahoma, prior to moving to Maine and, later, South Carolina. She maintained a studio in the Camden/Rockport area of Maine and taught art to private students. She continued offering private instruction after relocating to Charleston, then Beaufort, in South Carolina. She also participated in a number of artist’s guilds. During her career she worked with several nationally known master painters (including Gerald Brommer, Skip Lawrence and Glen Bradshaw) and her work is represented both in private and corporate collections in the United States and internationally. Her work also appeared on the March 1999 cover of Skirt! magazine (Charleston edition) and she is listed in the Clara database of women artists compiled by the National Museum of Women in the Arts, Washington, DC.
Finley McRee was diagnosed with Stage 3 metastatic ovarian cancer in 2003 at age 59 and died on April 9, 2006, at age 62. Her last works date to 2005. She is survived by daughters Kathleen Oliver, Christine Hamlin and Erin Finley Garcia.
Artist’s Résumé
Selected Solo Exhibitions
* 1981-1983: Chosen Works Gallery (Claremore, Oklahoma)
* 1984: The Great Indoors (Brunswick, Maine)
* 1984-1988: Camden National Bank (Camden, Maine)
* 1985: Southard House Gallery (Richmond, Maine)
* 1993: Camden Opera House (Camden, Maine)
* c. 1995: The Gallery (Charleston, South Carolina)
* c. 1996: E. S. Lawrence Gallery (Charleston, South Carolina)
Selected Group Exhibitions
* 1981-1984: Chosen Works Gallery (Claremore, Oklahoma)
* 1983-1985: Maine Art Gallery (Wiscasset, Maine)
* 1983-1991: Brick House Gallery (Boothbay Harbor, Maine)
* 1984-1989: Fransiska Needham gallery (Damariscotta, Maine)
* 1985: Art for America Gallery (Newcastle, Maine)
* 1985: Southard House Gallery (Richmond, Maine)
* 1985-1992: O’Farrell Gallery (Brunswick, Maine)
* 1987: Art Fellows Gallery (Brunswick, Maine)
* 1988: Diane Brott Gallery (Camden, Maine)
* 1988: Maine Coast Artists 10th Annual Juried Exhibition
* 1989-1991: Maine Coast Artists (Rockport, Maine)
* 1992-1993: 51 Bayview Street Gallery (Camden, Maine)
* 1994-1998: Tidwell Art Gallery (Charleston, South Carolina)
* 1995: Boothbay Regional Art Foundation (Boothbay Harbor, Maine)
* 1996-1998: American Originals Gallery (Charleston, South Carolina)
* 1997-1998: Frame Design and Gallery (Mount Pleasant, South Carolina)
* 1997-1998: Sweet Magnolias Interior Design Showcase (Mount Pleasant, South Carolina)
* 1997-1998: Complements (Mount Pleasant, South Carolina)
* 1998-1999: American Originals Gallery (Charleston, South Carolina)
* 2000: E. S. Lawrence Gallery (Charleston, South Carolina)
* 2001: The Red Piano Gallery (Hilton Head Island, South Carolina)
* 2001: The Gallery (Beaufort, South Carolina)
* 2002: University of South Carolina-Beaufort Gallery (Beaufort, South Carolina)
* 2002: Art & Soul Gallery (Beaufort, South Carolina)

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