About the Artist
About the Artist
Born and raised on Detroit’s east side, Mary moved to Ann Arbor after graduating from University of Detroit Mercy. While working as a software designer, Mary began taking classes in photography, drawing, and painting in 2001. She took numerous courses through the local art center, rec & ed, and workshops. Wanting a deeper dive into art and watercolor, Mary returned to school and received a Masters in Studio Art/Watercolor in 2022. She loves watercolor’s translucency, softness, pure beauty and unpredictability. It is a medium rich with both challenges and surprises.
Mary’s artwork often focuses on the tranquility found in nature. She also enjoys painting the historic buildings in and around Ann Arbor. Her painting style is strongly influenced by the Impressionists and Post Impressionists, particularly Monet and Van Gogh. Currently, Mary is exploring abstract expressionism, inspired by artists Brian Rutenberg and Ruth Gilmore Langs.
Exhibits/Recognition
Mary’s works are held in public and private collections. Her painting, Downtown Home and Garden, was selected by the Ann Arbor Sister City Program as a gift to the people of Hikone, Japan. Mary’s paintings have been included in numerous juried and open shows. Her vibrant watercolor, Rainy Road to Bryson City, awarded 2nd Place in the Ann Arbor Women Artists (AAWA) 2015 Summer Juried Exhibit. The painting, Les Cheneaux I, received the People’s Choice Award in the AAWA 2016 Spring Show. Mary was involved AAWA's collaborative public-art installations for Ann Arbor's 2015 and 2016 POP-X Festivals, co-chairing AAWA’s juried entry, Side by Side. Mary's abstract pieces have been juried into exhibits by the Rhode Island Watercolor Society (Hangin' by a Thread 1&2; First Snow)and the Las Lagunas Gallery (Spring Dreams). Art Around Saline jury selected two of her paintings for outdoor display: Jellies (2022) and Rainy Road to Bryson City (2023). In 2023, Mary was selected as a 2021 Michigan Emerging Graduate Artist for her painting Beyond Judgement. In 2023 the Guild of Artists and Artisans selected her as an Emerging Artist. Mary is a frequent exhibitor at the Westside Art Hop.
Mary enjoys teaching watercolor workshops for children and adults. She is on the organizing committee and teaching staff of ArtBreak Studio, an art program for the homeless, as well as a volunteer for the Doodles Academy program for Ann Ann Arbor Public Schools.
Professional Affiliations
National Watercolor Society, Huron River Artist Collective, Guild of Artists and Artisans, National Society of Leadership & Success, Phi Kappa Phi, Pratt Institute Artist Mindfulness Collaboratory
Mediums
Watercolor, acrylic, oil, pencil/graphite, pen & ink, photography
Artist Statement
My watercolor paintings offer moments to just pause, to notice - whether it's a sunrise, a walk in the woods, a memory, or the sheer joy of colors mixing on the page. My hope is that my art causes you to simply look, take a breath, and smile at the little miracles all around.
Born and raised on Detroit’s east side, Mary moved to Ann Arbor after graduating from University of Detroit Mercy. While working as a software designer, Mary began taking classes in photography, drawing, and painting in 2001. She took numerous courses through the local art center, rec & ed, and workshops. Wanting a deeper dive into art and watercolor, Mary returned to school and received a Masters in Studio Art/Watercolor in 2022. She loves watercolor’s translucency, softness, pure beauty and unpredictability. It is a medium rich with both challenges and surprises.
Mary’s artwork often focuses on the tranquility found in nature. She also enjoys painting the historic buildings in and around Ann Arbor. Her painting style is strongly influenced by the Impressionists and Post Impressionists, particularly Monet and Van Gogh. Currently, Mary is exploring abstract expressionism, inspired by artists Brian Rutenberg and Ruth Gilmore Langs.
Exhibits/Recognition
Mary’s works are held in public and private collections. Her painting, Downtown Home and Garden, was selected by the Ann Arbor Sister City Program as a gift to the people of Hikone, Japan. Mary’s paintings have been included in numerous juried and open shows. Her vibrant watercolor, Rainy Road to Bryson City, awarded 2nd Place in the Ann Arbor Women Artists (AAWA) 2015 Summer Juried Exhibit. The painting, Les Cheneaux I, received the People’s Choice Award in the AAWA 2016 Spring Show. Mary was involved AAWA's collaborative public-art installations for Ann Arbor's 2015 and 2016 POP-X Festivals, co-chairing AAWA’s juried entry, Side by Side. Mary's abstract pieces have been juried into exhibits by the Rhode Island Watercolor Society (Hangin' by a Thread 1&2; First Snow)and the Las Lagunas Gallery (Spring Dreams). Art Around Saline jury selected two of her paintings for outdoor display: Jellies (2022) and Rainy Road to Bryson City (2023). In 2023, Mary was selected as a 2021 Michigan Emerging Graduate Artist for her painting Beyond Judgement. In 2023 the Guild of Artists and Artisans selected her as an Emerging Artist. Mary is a frequent exhibitor at the Westside Art Hop.
Mary enjoys teaching watercolor workshops for children and adults. She is on the organizing committee and teaching staff of ArtBreak Studio, an art program for the homeless, as well as a volunteer for the Doodles Academy program for Ann Ann Arbor Public Schools.
Professional Affiliations
National Watercolor Society, Huron River Artist Collective, Guild of Artists and Artisans, National Society of Leadership & Success, Phi Kappa Phi, Pratt Institute Artist Mindfulness Collaboratory
Mediums
Watercolor, acrylic, oil, pencil/graphite, pen & ink, photography
Artist Statement
My watercolor paintings offer moments to just pause, to notice - whether it's a sunrise, a walk in the woods, a memory, or the sheer joy of colors mixing on the page. My hope is that my art causes you to simply look, take a breath, and smile at the little miracles all around.