Talented & inspired silk painter Mary Ann
Mary Ann's Bio:
I am a Spiritual artist. All of my work comes through to me during meditation and is for the "soul" purpose of uplifting those who are in contact with it. My art background includes photography, collage, mixed media, acrylics, weaving, sewing, beadwork, & dried flowers to name some of them. I am currently completely in love with silk painting and all of it's possibilities for expressing my love for the Spiritual. In my spare time I am a Spiritual Teacher, Healer, Wife, mother of 3 grown children, and caretaker of whatever animals find their way to me at the time.
I am a Spiritual artist. All of my work comes through to me during meditation and is for the "soul" purpose of uplifting those who are in contact with it. My art background includes photography, collage, mixed media, acrylics, weaving, sewing, beadwork, & dried flowers to name some of them. I am currently completely in love with silk painting and all of it's possibilities for expressing my love for the Spiritual. In my spare time I am a Spiritual Teacher, Healer, Wife, mother of 3 grown children, and caretaker of whatever animals find their way to me at the time.
1. How long have you been creating?
I have been creating art all of my life though it wasn't until 3 years ago I was led to silk painting to create the images in my mind. I decided that I wanted to sell and create a business with it. I finally decided it was time to do what I love all of the time instead of when I had the time.
2. What inspires you most?
Meditation is where most of my ideas come from. Color and flow! That is what I love about silk painting. Painting with dyes that are vibrant and flow on the fabric Color has vibrations for every mood and can change an emotion almost instantly. The natural organic shapes of nature and how they correspond to Sacred Geometry, sunsets and sunrises also fascinate me. Nature's range of colors is amazing.
3. What are your favorite materials & supplies?
I like working with all types of silk. Through a lot of experimenting I have found I prefer certain weights (called mommes) for wall hangings. Silk dyes are wonderful. After you paint them on the silk they have to be steamed for 2-3 hours to set the dye. The steaming also brings out the colors and makes them so much more vibrant and bright. You don't know exactly what the colors will look like until they are steamed. That is the best part taking them out of the steamer; seeing the true colors!
4. What is your workspace like?
I set up my work space in the living room! We don't use it much and it's not ideal but the light is good and my husband is a good sport about the messes I make. Hopefully I will be moving into a back bedroom soon since all but 1 of my kids have moved out.
5. When do you find the most time to work?
I do most of my painting from 10am to 3pm, when I have the space to myself. I work on weekends if I have a piece I need to finish but, usually I try not to because of the number of distractions with family being home!
6. How does your work fit into the rest of your life?
I have been focused on Spirituality for many years and to be able to create art that resonates with others on their journey is amazing. I work the hours I want, I am doing what I love, and I get paid for it, how perfect is that?!
7. How often a week do you get to work?
I try to work at least 4 days a week. Depending on the orders I have and the images I have in my mind; sometimes more sometimes less.
8. Do you sell your work? Directly? Indirectly?
I currently sell mostly online. I sell locally (Tucson) through word of mouth.
9. Do you have a business (on or offline)? Consign?
I have an Etsy shop. I have had a lot of people ask me about consignment but I like to keep my prices where I am making some money , but not so high that it is not affordable to a wider audience. For me it is not about the money so much as it is about reaching those who resonate with the art and letting them use it for their own journey.
10. Do you have a website? Blog? Facebook profile or fan page? Myspace? Twitter? Pinterest?
I have a Facebook page where I post pictures of the art work as I am making it.
11. Where do you feel your work fits in your market?
My art work is Spiritual for me; so that is the what I attract; New Age, Metaphysical, Yoga studios, healing centers, Shamanic, healers, New thought, Angelic, etc. Most of my work can be duplicated because I do drawings of most of the pieces before I put them on silk; none of them will be exactly the same because of the way the dyes flow and I paint a lot from intuition.
12. What is your favorite part?
I love commissioned work! It is very challenging to work within guidelines or no guidelines to create a piece for a client. It always amazes me when my intuition kicks in and I am able to come up with a piece that fits their needs without knowing them. I also love getting an image in my head and watching the creative process bring it out into the finished piece, blows me away!!
13. How did you get into creating?
I have always loved creating things. I remember in first grade our teacher would put on classical music and we were told to draw it! To this day I love listening to music when I'm creating.
14. Favorite deceased artist? Why?
Georgia O'keefe, Ansel Adams, Louis Bernal, to name a few. Georgia O'keefe I love her close up paintings of flowers, the lines and flow and the color; so very sensual. Ansel Adams, his ability to make black and white photography look like so much more and Louis Bernal was a photography teacher I had in college who photographed the Barrio and it's people; very touching and personal to me.
15. Favorite live artist? Why?
Rassouli. He is a visionary artist who does Fusionart. His work deeply touches me and I can look at it all day. Some day I am going to figure out how to take that look and put it on silk.
I have been creating art all of my life though it wasn't until 3 years ago I was led to silk painting to create the images in my mind. I decided that I wanted to sell and create a business with it. I finally decided it was time to do what I love all of the time instead of when I had the time.
2. What inspires you most?
Meditation is where most of my ideas come from. Color and flow! That is what I love about silk painting. Painting with dyes that are vibrant and flow on the fabric Color has vibrations for every mood and can change an emotion almost instantly. The natural organic shapes of nature and how they correspond to Sacred Geometry, sunsets and sunrises also fascinate me. Nature's range of colors is amazing.
3. What are your favorite materials & supplies?
I like working with all types of silk. Through a lot of experimenting I have found I prefer certain weights (called mommes) for wall hangings. Silk dyes are wonderful. After you paint them on the silk they have to be steamed for 2-3 hours to set the dye. The steaming also brings out the colors and makes them so much more vibrant and bright. You don't know exactly what the colors will look like until they are steamed. That is the best part taking them out of the steamer; seeing the true colors!
4. What is your workspace like?
I set up my work space in the living room! We don't use it much and it's not ideal but the light is good and my husband is a good sport about the messes I make. Hopefully I will be moving into a back bedroom soon since all but 1 of my kids have moved out.
5. When do you find the most time to work?
I do most of my painting from 10am to 3pm, when I have the space to myself. I work on weekends if I have a piece I need to finish but, usually I try not to because of the number of distractions with family being home!
6. How does your work fit into the rest of your life?
I have been focused on Spirituality for many years and to be able to create art that resonates with others on their journey is amazing. I work the hours I want, I am doing what I love, and I get paid for it, how perfect is that?!
7. How often a week do you get to work?
I try to work at least 4 days a week. Depending on the orders I have and the images I have in my mind; sometimes more sometimes less.
8. Do you sell your work? Directly? Indirectly?
I currently sell mostly online. I sell locally (Tucson) through word of mouth.
9. Do you have a business (on or offline)? Consign?
I have an Etsy shop. I have had a lot of people ask me about consignment but I like to keep my prices where I am making some money , but not so high that it is not affordable to a wider audience. For me it is not about the money so much as it is about reaching those who resonate with the art and letting them use it for their own journey.
10. Do you have a website? Blog? Facebook profile or fan page? Myspace? Twitter? Pinterest?
I have a Facebook page where I post pictures of the art work as I am making it.
11. Where do you feel your work fits in your market?
My art work is Spiritual for me; so that is the what I attract; New Age, Metaphysical, Yoga studios, healing centers, Shamanic, healers, New thought, Angelic, etc. Most of my work can be duplicated because I do drawings of most of the pieces before I put them on silk; none of them will be exactly the same because of the way the dyes flow and I paint a lot from intuition.
12. What is your favorite part?
I love commissioned work! It is very challenging to work within guidelines or no guidelines to create a piece for a client. It always amazes me when my intuition kicks in and I am able to come up with a piece that fits their needs without knowing them. I also love getting an image in my head and watching the creative process bring it out into the finished piece, blows me away!!
13. How did you get into creating?
I have always loved creating things. I remember in first grade our teacher would put on classical music and we were told to draw it! To this day I love listening to music when I'm creating.
14. Favorite deceased artist? Why?
Georgia O'keefe, Ansel Adams, Louis Bernal, to name a few. Georgia O'keefe I love her close up paintings of flowers, the lines and flow and the color; so very sensual. Ansel Adams, his ability to make black and white photography look like so much more and Louis Bernal was a photography teacher I had in college who photographed the Barrio and it's people; very touching and personal to me.
15. Favorite live artist? Why?
Rassouli. He is a visionary artist who does Fusionart. His work deeply touches me and I can look at it all day. Some day I am going to figure out how to take that look and put it on silk.
Thanks for tuning in for my Featured Artist/Crafter of the Month! I 'll see you back in March with my next feature!
In the comments below tell me if you've ordered from Heaven on Earth Silks before and how your experience was! What's your favorite product? And do you plan on ordering in the future?
Also if you're interested in being featured or know someone who would be drop me a line about it via email! And don't forget to drop by my social media profiles and sign up for my newsletter for more updates on posts like this & more!
In the comments below tell me if you've ordered from Heaven on Earth Silks before and how your experience was! What's your favorite product? And do you plan on ordering in the future?
Also if you're interested in being featured or know someone who would be drop me a line about it via email! And don't forget to drop by my social media profiles and sign up for my newsletter for more updates on posts like this & more!
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