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At first you instantly recognize
my art as a fish, a frog, a beetle or mask but you’re not sure what it is made of. You’ll want to touch
it, look closer at it and then maybe you’ll change your idea of what you think it is. A piece of wood, a piece
of paper, some clay, some wire, some beads, some fabric and all of that color mixed together creates something new.
Discovering a new material, process or technique lends itself to a new creature for me to make.
It allows me to work in the mixed media of sculpture, assemblage and painting. Wood, paper, clay, wire, beads, fabric and paint are the materials I use. Combining the use of shape, form, texture, line and color, I explore and recreate the small ancient creatures of the world that are overlooked by most.
On an armature of wood and wire I sculpt the bodies of each of my creatures with a lightweight air drying modeling compound. I press in textures and cut in the features. My fish are created with cottonwood veneer, watercolor paper and fabric. The masks and beetles are assembled with the veneer, modeling compound and fabric and other materials. Each piece is hand painted with layers of brilliant acrylic paints and coated with a flexible UV and moisture protective acrylic gel or acrylic spray.
Discovering a new material, process or technique lends itself to a new creature for me to make.
It allows me to work in the mixed media of sculpture, assemblage and painting. Wood, paper, clay, wire, beads, fabric and paint are the materials I use. Combining the use of shape, form, texture, line and color, I explore and recreate the small ancient creatures of the world that are overlooked by most.
On an armature of wood and wire I sculpt the bodies of each of my creatures with a lightweight air drying modeling compound. I press in textures and cut in the features. My fish are created with cottonwood veneer, watercolor paper and fabric. The masks and beetles are assembled with the veneer, modeling compound and fabric and other materials. Each piece is hand painted with layers of brilliant acrylic paints and coated with a flexible UV and moisture protective acrylic gel or acrylic spray.
Education
9/1984-12/1986 Viterbo College- LaCrosse, Wisconsin
1/1987-12/1989 University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee- Bachelor of Arts
Majors- drawing and painting , graphic design
Employment
1/1987-12/1989 University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee- Bachelor of Arts
Majors- drawing and painting , graphic design
Employment
2/1990-11/1990 Victoria Rubenstein- Milwaukee, WI- artist assistant
11/1990-11/2002 Water Street Brewery- Milwaukee, WI- Head Hostess
11/1990-11/2002 Water Street Brewery- Milwaukee, WI- Head Hostess
8/1991- 11/2002 Part time Artist- Milwaukee, WI- 3-d mixed media nonfunctional
11/2002- present Full time Artist- Milwaukee, WI- 3-d mixed media nonfunctional
Art Fairs * award
11/2002- present Full time Artist- Milwaukee, WI- 3-d mixed media nonfunctional
Art Fairs * award
2/2005
Fort Myers , FL - Artfest Fort Myers
2/2006 Tampa, FL - Gasparilla Festival of the Arts
2/2006 Jupiter, FL - ArtiGras
3/2004,08-10 Bonita Springs, FL - Bonita Springs National Art Festival*
3/2006 Vero Beach, FL - Under the Oaks
3/2005,06,08 Winter Park, FL - Winter Park Sidewalk Art Festival
2/2006 Tampa, FL - Gasparilla Festival of the Arts
2/2006 Jupiter, FL - ArtiGras
3/2004,08-10 Bonita Springs, FL - Bonita Springs National Art Festival*
3/2006 Vero Beach, FL - Under the Oaks
3/2005,06,08 Winter Park, FL - Winter Park Sidewalk Art Festival
5/2009
Indianapolis, IN - Broad Ripple Art Fair
5/2000-2009
Sturgeon Bay, WI - (Market Square) Sturgeon Bay Fine Art Fair
6/1994-2001 Milwaukee, WI - Schlitz Audubon Art Fair*
6/1992-1994 Northbrook, IL - Northbrook Art Fair
6/1999-2009 Racine, WI - Monument Square Art Fair*
6/1995-2003 Barrington, IL - BAAC Art Fair*
6/2004 Wheaton, IL - Cantigny Sculpture & Fine Art Festival
6/1995-2007 Spring Green, WI - Spring Green Art Fair*
7/1993-2007 Madison, WI - Art Fair Off the Square*
7/2002 Buffalo Grove, IL - Buffalo Grove Invitational Fine Art Festival
7/2000 Neenah, WI - Bergstrom-Mahler Museum Arts Festival
7/1992-2007,09 Sheboygan, WI - John Michael Kohler Arts Festival
6/1994-2001 Milwaukee, WI - Schlitz Audubon Art Fair*
6/1992-1994 Northbrook, IL - Northbrook Art Fair
6/1999-2009 Racine, WI - Monument Square Art Fair*
6/1995-2003 Barrington, IL - BAAC Art Fair*
6/2004 Wheaton, IL - Cantigny Sculpture & Fine Art Festival
6/1995-2007 Spring Green, WI - Spring Green Art Fair*
7/1993-2007 Madison, WI - Art Fair Off the Square*
7/2002 Buffalo Grove, IL - Buffalo Grove Invitational Fine Art Festival
7/2000 Neenah, WI - Bergstrom-Mahler Museum Arts Festival
7/1992-2007,09 Sheboygan, WI - John Michael Kohler Arts Festival
7/2009 Geneva, IL - Geneva
Arts Fair
7/1999 Appleton, WI - Art in the Park
8/1994-2002,08-09 Wauwatosa, WI - Firefly Art Fair
8/2003-2006 Minneapolis, MN - Powderhorn Art Fair*
8/2007 Minneapolis, MN - Uptown Art Fair
8/1991-2006,08-09 Milwaukee, WI - Morning Glory Craft Fair
8/1993,97,98,2009 GreenBay, WI - Artstreet*
8/2001,02,07-09 Oconomowoc, WI - Oconomowoc Festival of the Arts*
8/2003-2007 Brookfield, Wi - Stonewood Village Art Fair*
9/2000 Milwaukee, WI - Mile of Art
9/1994,2009 Holy Hill, WI - Holy Hill Arts and Craft Fair*
9/1994-1999 Downers Grove, IL - Downers Grove Art Fair*
9/1999-2007 Milwaukee, WI - Mount Mary Starving Artist Art Fair
11/2004-2006 Milwaukee, WI - Ornamnets and Adornments
11/1998-2009 Madison, WI - Winter Art Festival
7/1999 Appleton, WI - Art in the Park
8/1994-2002,08-09 Wauwatosa, WI - Firefly Art Fair
8/2003-2006 Minneapolis, MN - Powderhorn Art Fair*
8/2007 Minneapolis, MN - Uptown Art Fair
8/1991-2006,08-09 Milwaukee, WI - Morning Glory Craft Fair
8/1993,97,98,2009 GreenBay, WI - Artstreet*
8/2001,02,07-09 Oconomowoc, WI - Oconomowoc Festival of the Arts*
8/2003-2007 Brookfield, Wi - Stonewood Village Art Fair*
9/2000 Milwaukee, WI - Mile of Art
9/1994,2009 Holy Hill, WI - Holy Hill Arts and Craft Fair*
9/1994-1999 Downers Grove, IL - Downers Grove Art Fair*
9/1999-2007 Milwaukee, WI - Mount Mary Starving Artist Art Fair
11/2004-2006 Milwaukee, WI - Ornamnets and Adornments
11/1998-2009 Madison, WI - Winter Art Festival
Link to Mary's Lionfish JMCP June 2008 Volume 14 Issue 5
JMCP interview questions
The Journal of Managed Care Pharmacy is a peer-reviewed journal, with 9 publication dates per year: separate
issues for the months of March, April, May, June, September, and October and combined issues for January/February, July/August,
and November/December.
1.What inspired you to become an artist?
As a child my sisters and I were always doing some sort of craft project, so I think I always was an artist. I knew I didn’t want to teach and graphic art didn’t fit so I got into an art fair after college in 1991 and have been doing them ever since.
2. Where did you get your art training?
U W Milwaukee
3. What prompted you to begin to create your mixed media sculptures?
I got some wood veneer from Dufek Manufactoring, a small cheese box company located in my home town of Denmark, WI. I made my first fish out of a piece that had a knot hole for the eye. After that I made some wall masks and then cats and dogs. But finding different materials and adding them to the veneer expanded my line of creatures. I’ve found that I really like to build armature out of wood and wire and build clay over that, pressing in different textures and cutting in the features
As a child my sisters and I were always doing some sort of craft project, so I think I always was an artist. I knew I didn’t want to teach and graphic art didn’t fit so I got into an art fair after college in 1991 and have been doing them ever since.
2. Where did you get your art training?
U W Milwaukee
3. What prompted you to begin to create your mixed media sculptures?
I got some wood veneer from Dufek Manufactoring, a small cheese box company located in my home town of Denmark, WI. I made my first fish out of a piece that had a knot hole for the eye. After that I made some wall masks and then cats and dogs. But finding different materials and adding them to the veneer expanded my line of creatures. I’ve found that I really like to build armature out of wood and wire and build clay over that, pressing in different textures and cutting in the features
4. Did you have any artistic mentors or favorite teachers?
Not really, I did take 2 classes in college that really inspired me. One being color studies and the other being form, space and materials. Those really pushed me to be creative and try different materials to create art.
5. Do you have any further art training, such as attending workshops?
no
6. Are there any other artists in your family?
My older sister is an elementary art teacher and my younger sister works in the graphics/printing field.
7. Do you sell your art in any galleries?
The Gift Itself in Green Bay, WI
The Artists Mercantile in St. Paul, MN
The Morning Glory Gallery in Milwaukee, WI
The Underwood Gallery in Wauwatosa, WI
8. What is your favorite style of art and why?
I liked Impressionism in college but I think I’ve created my own style- simple, fun, recognizable creatures with attention to accurate shape and form within the limitations of the materials I use, then painted with bright fun colors.
9. Do you have any favorite artists (living or deceased)?
Manet, Degas
10. What inspired you to create the large Lionfish sculpture?
I really like the salt water fish, their shapes and color, and thougth the lionfish was a really cool unreal looking fish but I couldn’t make it until I figured out how to make the fins. I found a way to make the fins by cementing parchment paper together with wire inbetween, then cutting out the shapes of the fins and binding them together. Of course the lionfish is brown and white, but I tend to put a lot more color into them then how they look in nature.
11. What year did you make the large Lionfish sculpture?
I can’t remember, maybe 2001.
12. What are your favorite subjects in your artworks and why?
I like small little brightly colored creatures that are a challenge to figure out how to make them using wood, wire, paper, fabric beads etc. There are 3 books where I get most of my ideas from.
Coral Reef Fishes by Ewald Lieske and Robert Myers
An Inordinate Fondness for Beetles by Arthur V. Evans and Charles L. Bellany
The World’s Most Spectacular Reptiles & Amphibians by William W. Lamar
13. Do you have any special projects that you're working on now or plan to start in the near future?
Just trying to get in to bigger and better art fairs.
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