artist statement

My college studies at the Pasadena/Seattle School of Interior Design included classes in color, painting and design perspectives which all helped shape and guide my artistic pursuits of my current life. Upon taking my first class in encaustic painting in 2009, I knew I had found my true artistic passion. That passion for encaustic (hot wax) and more recently cold wax & oil painting, increases with each painting. Over the last 11 years I have been working steadily developing my skills and individual style and have completed numerous bodies of work in both the hot and cold wax mediums.

I work mainly in the abstract with an emphasis on color exploration. My love of color leads me to bold and vivid combinations with both smooth and textured surfaces and my work has grown in size and complexity. My most recent cold wax & oil body of work, ‘Beneath the Surface’ is currently on display at my gallery on the Taos Plaza and can be viewed on my website as well.

I also thoroughly enjoy the challenge of creating pieces custom to a client’s individual style and space and welcome all inquiries.

bio

I was born and raised in Seattle, WA and had careers in radio and magazine advertising sales and sales management; was product designer and sales manager for a family owned business in The Philippines; plus, spent over 15 years in real estate sales in both Seattle and Sun Valley, ID.

In 2009 I retired from the ‘real world’ and began to execute the changes that led me to further exploring my interest in all painting mediums. I opened my first studio in Sun Valley, Idaho in the Spring of 2010. In 2013, I relocated to Taos, New Mexico where I continue to create bodies of work inspired by what I see in the skies, colors and landscapes of the Southwest. My work is currently on display at my Taos gallery/studio where I am able to paint as well as meet and personally present my work to visitors from all over the world.

Mary Stratton