ARTIST STATEMENT
This work reflects my attraction to human interaction and the joy I find in line and color within the abstract. I always begin with an abstract painting that appears as I respond to marks and colors that happen during the process. I purposely avoid thoughts of anything or anyone as I draw and paint the abstract. Once I am happy with the abstract painting, the search for an inhabitant begins. The final process of discovering the inhabitants is pure. As they immerse, they tell their story. My hope is that the viewer will be drawn into, and perhaps relate to, them and their story.
ABOUT THE ARTIST
My background is in fashion illustration and commercial art. I have had no formal art education, but have learned from working with other artists and some independent art classes. I spent several years painting murals and decorative art in homes and restaurants in Chicago and the Chicago suburbs which helped me understand the acrylic medium more fully. Some of this work is a chapter in the book “Sophisticated Surfaces” by Karen Aude. My work has been shown in several local and Chicago galleries, including Woman Made Gallery, ARC Gallery, Morpho Gallery, Highland Park Art Gallery, Oak Park Art League Gallery, Gallery Pink, Sole Mio Studio & Gallery.
© Mary Jo Parker O’Hearn