About the Artist
Art, specifically oil painting, has always been a part of Mary Jane’s life. Though her professional business career was spent in high tech advertising, both domestically and internationally, she has focused her energies on her oil painting full time since she retired in 1999 from Dell Computer in Austin, Texas.
She was born and raised in Shawnee, Oklahoma, entering the advertising profession in 1975 in Oklahoma City. This career took her to three states and Europe before her early retirement in 1999. After retirement, she began her full time art career and studies in Austin, Texas, later relocating to Colorado in 2003. She has continued her studies at the Denver Art Students League, and through private instruction and workshops given by contemporary masters in still life and plein air painting.
She has studied with contemporary masters such as Joshua Fallik, Ron Hicks and John Lenzicki.
Along with contemporary realist works in the old master traditions, she equally loves plein air painting and has studied with nationally recognized masters such as Scott Christensen, Matt Smith, Bruce Peil and Ralph Oberg.
Mary Jane currently lives in Bailey, Colorado, and has one daughter who is also an artist in Pacifica, California.
Artist Statement
I enjoy a variety of subject matter and techniques in my oil painting, from old master techniques and principles to plein air painting. Specifically, my still lifes are created with light movement and a beautiful relationship between the objects being the primary focus of my arrangements.
My love for the techniques and principles of the old masters such as Vermeer and Rembrandt are exhibited in my still lifes, landscapes and portraits. Either linen panels with oil grounds are used for small works, or I create my own stretched linen supports utilizing traditional techniques of animal glue sizing, oil grounds, and maroger medium for larger pieces. Creation of these large stretched supports takes approximately 12 weeks to complete before the painting can begin. The personal investment in each piece adds to the enjoyment of the total painting process.
Work Experience
1999–Present Professional Artist
1992–1999 Senior Marketing Manager, Dell Computer, Austin, Tex.
1987–1992 Advertising Manager, Dell Computer, Austin, Tex.
1983–1987 Vice President, Associate Media Director, Bozell, Dallas, Tex.
1981–1983 Media Director, Cranford Johnson Hunt, Little Rock, Ark.
1979–1981 Media Director, Sonic Inc., Oklahoma City, Okla.
1977–1979 Assistant Advertising Manager, Braum's Ice Cream and Dairy Stores, Oklahoma CIty, Okla.
1975–1977 Media Director, Adsociates, Inc., Oklahoma City, Okla.
Relevant Organizations
Oil Painters of America
Plein Air Austin (founding member)
Denver Art Students League
Denver Museum of Art
Selected Group Exhibitions
2005 Arts Festival Oklahoma (juried festival), Oklahoma City, Oklahoma
2005 K. D. Moore Gallery juried exhibit, Evergreen, Colorado
2004 “Paint Our Town” juried exhibit, Denver Art Students League
2003 Plein Air Austin Group Show (juried acceptance), Mill Ateller Gallery, Santa Fe, New Mexico
2002 Plein Air Austin Group Show
2002 Two Man Show, Robbins Studio and Gallery, Austin, Texas
Galleries
2010-2012 River Canyon Gallery, Bailey, Colorado
2000-2002 Chisos Gallery, Marathon, Texas