About Me
A visual exploration of nature
My artistic journey in East Anglia began in the picturesque Waveney River Valley in Suffolk, where I made drawings that recorded the effects of light and weather on the agricultural landscape. In my paintings I attempted to capture the essence of what I had seen and experienced. My explorations extended to the impact of modern farming practices on the local environment.
In 2017, a move to Pakefield, a coastal town near Lowestoft, shifted my focus to the delicate balance between humans and Nature. My paintings delve into environmental concerns and explore the ways in which a painterly language can raise awareness about climate change and coastal erosion.
The vulnerability of human beings became increasingly marked during the Covid crisis, as people walked on the beaches with a backdrop of eroding cliffs, rusting war-time defences (hundreds of bullets from a firing range revealed), jet-black tarmac roads, pipes, bricks and garden plants. The elements have always worn away the land along this coastline, but rising sea-levels are now threatening human habitations, which stand precariously at the edge of destruction. There is much symbolism to be extracted from the ever-changing and impermanent architectural forms, that are revealed and lost as wind and sea make a mockery of sea-defences and human attempts to keep back the waves. Yet there is extraordinary and raw beauty here, wild places that remind us how small our concerns are, as the cliffs stand as guardians of the land and tower over us.
Could all of this lead to a sense of despair and hopelessness? Not at all, Mary would answer, because within the geographical area that she has chosen to work from (Pakefield to Southwold), there is an awe-inspiring, vast, unspoilt and often empty beach that continues to build up, with new banks of sand and shingle, anchored by marram grass, bushes of sea-buckthorn, hundreds of tiny euphorbia and sea-holly and kale. Little-terns are protected here, a crested skylark might be glimpsed or an occasional seal – or skeins of cormorants flying out to sea. Kessingland beach has been designated an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty and further south still Benacre has a Nature Reserve that protects migratory birds.
Like the War artists who reported from the front line, Mary wants to use a visual language to communicate all that is happening in the area around her, in the hope that it will make people reflect and help to secure the coastline for her children and grandchildren.
Biography
1954 | Born in Wanstead, Essex |
1972-76 | Foundation and B.A. Fine Art-Painting. Brighton Poly. Faculty of Art and Design |
1980/81 | Post-Graduate Certificate in Education (Art and Design). Trent Park, Middlx Poly |
1998-2001 | M.A. Art and Design in Education, Institute of Education, London |
Solo Exhibitions
2015 | Theatre Royal, Norwich |
2008 | The Cork Brick Gallery, Bungay, Suffolk |
2008/11 | St. Giles’ St. Gallery, Norwich |
2011/16/19 | The Anchor, Walberswick, Suffolk |
2007/9/14 | The John Russell Gallery, Ipswich, Suffolk |
2002/4/15 | Swan House, Beccles, Suffolk |
Selected Exhibitions
2020 | Theatre Royal, Norwich (selected Norwich Twenty Group show) |
2012/18 | Norwich Castle Open |
2012 | ‘Queen and Country’, The Assembly House, Norwich (two-person show) |
2008/10/14/16/21 | Norfolk Contemporary Art Society, The Forum, Norwich and Norwich Cathedral |
Group Exhibitions
2024 | 'Emerging Landscape Painting Today' |
2024 | Mandell’s Summer Exhibition, Norwich |
2003-24 | Mary is a member of the Norwich Twenty Group and has exhibited with them annually or twice annually in various venues in Norwich:- |
Mary is also a member of The Waveney Nine, women artist’s from the Waveney Valley and has shown with them at:- | |
2023 | The Bell Gallery, Bungay, Suffolk |
2022 | The Carousel Gallery, Framlingham, Suffolk |
2019 | Wingfield Barns, Suffolk |
2018 | The Cork Brick Gallery, Bungay, Suffolk |
Further group exhibitions | |
2006-17 | Mixed shows with The John Russell Gallery, Ipswich, Suffolk |
2006-22 | Mixed shows at the Cork Brick Gallery, Bungay, Suffolk |
2015-24 | Mixed shows at the Ferini Gallery, Pakefield, Suffolk |
2007/19 | The Cut Open, Halesworth, Suffolk |
2018 | ‘An East Anglian Landscape Revealed’, Wymondham Arts Centre |
2017 | Royal Norfolk Show, Norwich Showground |
2011 | AKM Art Group with the Norwich Twenty Group, Metternich Hall, Koblenz. |
2010 | Cromer and Sheringham Summer Festival (Norfolk Contemporary Art Society) |
2009/10 | The Harleston Gallery, Suffolk |
2008 | Wymondham Abbey (two-person show) and the Bungay Festival, Suffolk |
2004 | ‘The Ken Back Legacy’, Graham and Oldham Artist’s Gallery, Ipswich |
2003 | Halesworth Open, Halesworth Gallery, Suffolk |
2002 | St. Lawrence’s Centre, Ranworth, Norfolk |
1987 | Saltram House, Plymouth (National Trust) |
1982 | The Skittle Gallery, Devon and the Brewhouse Theatre, Taunton, Somerset |
1980 | The Blackheath Gallery (two-person show ) and the Pastel Society, Mall Galleries |
Publications
2021 | Art Quarterly magazine, Winter edition |
2013 | ‘The Cultural Heritage of Coastal Suffolk’, Peter Willsher, published by Phillimore |
2008 | ‘A Landscape artist with a different perspective’ - feature in the Eastern Daily Press. March 13th |
2007/9 | ‘The Artist in our Midst’ book published by Green Pebble Magazine, also articles In Green Pebble Magazine (Winter 2007 and Spring 2009) |
2005/6/7 | Articles in ‘The Artist Magazine’ (Jan 2005, Feb 2006, April 2007) |
2005 | Sixty Years of Art’, Norwich Twenty Group publication |
Mary has taught Art and Design at Secondary level in London and East Anglia and worked for many years as an Adult Education Tutor for Suffolk County Council, she has tutored for Private Art Establishments and has run courses and workshops. Mary has given talks to Art Societies from Great Yarmouth to Felixstowe and has taken part in Open Studios.