Mary J.
Gray
Mary J. Gray - Contemporary Artist
“I enjoy working from life. The whole process is energizing. Whether the subject matter is a still life, a live model, or a landscape, all senses are brought into play, and I am totally immersed in capturing the timeless and immediate nature of the subject before me. I have returned to the studio and presently enjoy working from live models and setting up objects to explore still life, portrait, and figurative works. I love painting en plein air when the weather is suitable, and spent many years coordinating the Central Florida Plein Air Artists group. I am back in the studio full-time after five years of family health-related setbacks which interfered with my full participation.”
Mary J earned a BA in painting and did post-graduate work at Arrowmont School in the Smoky Mountains. In Orlando in the mid-‘80s, she formed the non-profit group Women in Art, Inc. and held over 20 large exhibitions in the group’s space in Thornton Park, empowering and raising the consciousness of women in the art community. She has studied with many well known artists including Daniel Greene, Albert Handell, Morgan Samuel Price, Larry Moore, Don Sondag, and Stacy Barter. She taught in the Orange County Schools, private schools, and at local art centers. Her extensive travels in Europe, Mexico, and the USA have enriched her painting experience. Since getting back into the studio through attending classes, Mary J has discovered her love of figurative painting, and will be teaching a figure painting class at Crealdé School of Art in the fall.
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