Mary Barnes

Mary’s art is about moments of observation – when she is outdoors “in” the landscape imagining and embracing the natural world. These moments become memories and are rediscovered as she works in her studio. The tension in her pictures is between the emotional experience from memory and the visual journey as it unfolds in the studio. The line between abstraction and recognizable imagery is blurred.

Mary was influenced by abstract expressionism in her professional training. The presence of hand is key in her art. Kandinsky, Twombly, Scully, Rothenberg, and Dine have all influenced her approach and use of color. She has a B.A from Colorado College, a B.F.A. from the Pacific Northwest College of Art and a M.F.A. from Columbia University. She received an Individual Artist Grant from the Connecticut Commission on the Arts, NEA and was awarded the Charles Voorhies Memorial Drawing Award, Pacific Northwest College of Art Wilson and Johnson Scholarship; Portland Art Museum Women’s Council Award.