About the artist
Texture is something that has always fascinated me, and I find that natural textiles - like linen, cotton, silk organza, and even cheesecloth - create incredibly compelling artworks when layered and stitched with thread. Combining these simple materials with paint and dye, I can play with the effects of transparency, line, luminosity and opacity to create an endless array of imagery.
Subject matter is another important part of my process. I might be drawn to a weathered face for the unspoken story behind the lines or to a well-known activist whose cause is worth celebrating. And sometimes my subjects are animals because their wispy manes or shaggy coats are irresistible.
Download Mary’s full CV here.
current exhibitions
where to see my work in person
“Musing” and “The Drifter” are in The Work of Their Hands exhibition at the Cameron Art Museum, Wilmington, NC, Feb. 23 - Oct. 20.
“Willie” is in the Behind the Seams AQS exhibition travelling with The Quilt Show throughout the US: Daytona Beach, FL, Branson, MO, Paducah, KY, Grand Rapids, MI and Lancaster, PA until October 2024.
“A World of Difference” is in the Current Threads 2024 exhibition at the Pat Martin Bates Gallery, Victoria BC, March 9-28.
“Hokusai’s Great Wave Revisited” will be in the Current Threads 2024 exhibition at the Italian Cultural Centre of Vancouver, Vancouver BC, July-August 2024.
Teaching
Interested in learning how to make artworks from cheesecloth? For information about my lecture for guilds or online classes, please visit my teaching website at the link below.
Lecture
On-Demand Workshops
Process
My early works were portraits, not only because facial expressions hold endless fascination for me, but because cheesecloth can be sculpted to portray the impact of light and shadow and overlaid on painted textiles with dramatic results. And then over time, I discovered that many other subjects also lend themselves to an interpretation with these textiles to create artworks filled with texture.
Creating art with such a delicate medium does take time - it takes about a month to complete one, from initial sketch through decisions about composition, sculpting, painting, stitching - but I find the process very contemplative and enjoyable. Often while working, I listen to audiobooks about, or read by, the subject I am sculpting, which makes the process all the more intimate.