Katherine Bradford, like superwoman, truly is a Flying Woman. Born in 1942 in New York City, and raised in Connecticut, she was groomed for a traditional life of marriage and children. But in her early 30s, a married mother of twins, Bradford and her family moved to Maine and she began to paint. Like her art, Bradford is bold and colorful. Seeking to capture the essence of humanity, she presents our species at its best—at play—swimming, floating, transported. With Mark Rothko and Milton Avery’s consideration of color and a nod to the compositions of Carol Dunham and Henri Matisse, Bradford brings her own luminous vision to American art of the 21st century. —Thalia Bonas