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Mary Ahern Artist

My Art Starts in the Garden

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Mary Ahern Artist

NEWS About Exhibitions, Events & Social Media Posts

I invite you into my world as an artist through intimate glimpses of studio life, exhibition preparations, and the creative process that fuels my work. My writing chronicles adventures, garden-inspired creations, and the evolution of my artistic vision.

Follow along on my blogs and social media where I regularly share my journey. My photography and videography offer visual narratives that complement my written reflections—capturing moments of beauty and inspiration that bring joy to everyday life.


Upcoming Exhibitions & Events

May 28 – June 21, 2025. Raising Women’s Voices. Ceres Gallery Group Exhibition.

547 West 27th St
Suite 201 New York
NY 10001

Ceres Gallery NYC


Social Media

You can follow all my posts here or follow me on Instagram. I also post to BlueSky, Facebook, LinkedIn, Pinterest, Threads and YouTube.

This is What I’ve Been Talking About on Instagram Recently

Mary Ahern Artist

maryahern

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My Art Starts in the Garden

This is my second studio space in my home. In the other, larger room I do my oil painting. In this one I do my dry media and sometimes watercolor. We have about 9 bookcases in the house. The three in my studios are my art books. The bookcases on the main floor are my overflow art books and also my gardening books. I`m a very lucky woman! What type of books do you collect?

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This is my second studio space in my home. In the other, larger room I do my oil painting.  In this one I do my dry media and sometimes watercolor. We have about 9 bookcases in the house. The three in my studios are my art books. The bookcases on the main floor are my overflow art books and also my gardening books. I'm a very lucky woman! What type of books do you collect?

This is my second studio space in my home. In the other, larger room I do my oil painting. In this one I do my dry media and sometimes watercolor. We have about 9 bookcases in the house. The three in my studios are my art books. The bookcases on the main floor are my overflow art books and also my gardening books. I`m a very lucky woman! What type of books do you collect? ...

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Here`s a painting I made in 1975. Too many years ago, I donated it to PBS to be used in an auction to raise funds. I sure wish I knew where the painting ended up. It is a view of the Verrazano Bridge with the walkway that parallels the Belt Parkway. I bought real window molding, mitered the corners, and attached it to the canvas. The frame was painted in the same color scheme as the view outside the window to reflect neutrality rather than excitement and wonder. For years I drew windows since they both keep us protected but also isolate us. The 70s was a time of figuring out my life, who I was, and who I wanted to be.

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Here's a painting I made in 1975. Too many years ago, I donated it to PBS to be used in an auction to raise funds. I sure wish I knew where the painting ended up. It is a view of the Verrazano Bridge with the walkway that parallels the Belt Parkway. I bought real window molding, mitered the corners, and attached it to the canvas. The frame was painted in the same color scheme as the view outside the window to reflect neutrality rather than excitement and wonder. For years I drew windows since they both keep us protected but also isolate us. The 70s was a time of figuring out my life, who I was, and who I wanted to be.

Here`s a painting I made in 1975. Too many years ago, I donated it to PBS to be used in an auction to raise funds. I sure wish I knew where the painting ended up. It is a view of the Verrazano Bridge with the walkway that parallels the Belt Parkway. I bought real window molding, mitered the corners, and attached it to the canvas. The frame was painted in the same color scheme as the view outside the window to reflect neutrality rather than excitement and wonder. For years I drew windows since they both keep us protected but also isolate us. The 70s was a time of figuring out my life, who I was, and who I wanted to be. ...

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The Art League of Long Island exhibition opening reception was last weekend. My painting, Cosmic Peony Power, made her debut there. She`s a 30x30" oil on gallery wrapped canvas painting. She`s flowing off the canvas with energy. ⁠
Media Description: Mary Ahern the artist with her painting, Cosmic Peony Power at the Art League of Long Island opening reception.

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The Art League of Long Island exhibition opening reception was last weekend. My painting, Cosmic Peony Power, made her debut there. She's a 30x30" oil on gallery wrapped canvas painting. She's flowing off the canvas with energy. ⁠
Media Description: Mary Ahern the artist with her painting, Cosmic Peony Power at the Art League of Long Island opening reception.

The Art League of Long Island exhibition opening reception was last weekend. My painting, Cosmic Peony Power, made her debut there. She`s a 30x30" oil on gallery wrapped canvas painting. She`s flowing off the canvas with energy. ⁠
Media Description: Mary Ahern the artist with her painting, Cosmic Peony Power at the Art League of Long Island opening reception.
...

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Hubby Dave loves to buy plants for me a few days before Valentine`s Day since he knows I appreciate them more than cut flowers. He says that way, he doesn`t get the leftovers but gets the pick of the pack. When I got home from a garden club meeting this morning, I was surprised by this beautiful pot of primrose. He said they called to him, catching his eye as he wandered around the nursery. We both agree that they brightened up this winter day. He`s so right. They brightened up the day for both of us. He`s a very special person!

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Hubby Dave loves to buy plants for me a few days before Valentine's Day since he knows I appreciate them more than cut flowers. He says that way, he doesn't get the leftovers but gets the pick of the pack. When I got home from a garden club meeting this morning, I was surprised by this beautiful pot of primrose. He said they called to him, catching his eye as he wandered around the nursery. We both agree that they brightened up this winter day. He's so right. They brightened up the day for both of us. He's a very special person!

Hubby Dave loves to buy plants for me a few days before Valentine`s Day since he knows I appreciate them more than cut flowers. He says that way, he doesn`t get the leftovers but gets the pick of the pack. When I got home from a garden club meeting this morning, I was surprised by this beautiful pot of primrose. He said they called to him, catching his eye as he wandered around the nursery. We both agree that they brightened up this winter day. He`s so right. They brightened up the day for both of us. He`s a very special person! ...

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My artist page on the Ceres Website looks bright and cheerful in these winter dark times. I`m so happy that I`ve been juried into this NYC Chelsea based women`s feminist art gallery. It`s been an over 45 year goal of mine. Finally made it. Don`t ever give up! Put one foot in front of the other, even on days you don`t feel the inspiration and over time you will have made progress to your goals!⁠

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My artist page on the Ceres Website looks bright and cheerful in these winter dark times. I'm so happy that I've been juried into this NYC Chelsea based women's feminist art gallery. It's been an over 45 year goal of mine. Finally made it. Don't ever give up! Put one foot in front of the other, even on days you don't feel the inspiration and over time you will have made progress to your goals!⁠

My artist page on the Ceres Website looks bright and cheerful in these winter dark times. I`m so happy that I`ve been juried into this NYC Chelsea based women`s feminist art gallery. It`s been an over 45 year goal of mine. Finally made it. Don`t ever give up! Put one foot in front of the other, even on days you don`t feel the inspiration and over time you will have made progress to your goals!⁠ ...

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There are days when paying attention and seeing the beauty surrounding you lifts your listless spirits.
#meditation #snow #garden

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There are days when paying attention and seeing the beauty surrounding you lifts your listless spirits.
#meditation #snow #garden

There are days when paying attention and seeing the beauty surrounding you lifts your listless spirits.
#meditation #snow #garden
...

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Say hello to Cosmic Peony Power. She’s my latest oil painting ready to get in the car to travel to her first public appearance at an upcoming art show at the Art League of Long Island at the end of the month. She sure looks bigger than her 30x30” size, don’t you think?

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Say hello to Cosmic Peony Power. She’s my latest oil painting ready to get in the car to travel to her first public appearance at an upcoming art show at the Art League of Long Island at the end of the month. She sure looks bigger than her 30x30” size, don’t you think?

Say hello to Cosmic Peony Power. She’s my latest oil painting ready to get in the car to travel to her first public appearance at an upcoming art show at the Art League of Long Island at the end of the month. She sure looks bigger than her 30x30” size, don’t you think? ...

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And here we go again. First painting of 2025 is on the easel with the first coat of underpainting. With three solo shows in 2025-2026 I will surely be very busy and I`m hoping you`ll stay along for the ride. I`m excited by all the possibilities that await our journey! Aren`t you!⁠
Media Description: Painting on easel in studio of the artist, Mary Ahern.

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And here we go again. First painting of 2025 is on the easel with the first coat of underpainting. With three solo shows in 2025-2026 I will surely be very busy and I'm hoping you'll stay along for the ride. I'm excited by all the possibilities that await our journey! Aren't you!⁠
Media Description: Painting on easel in studio of the artist, Mary Ahern.

And here we go again. First painting of 2025 is on the easel with the first coat of underpainting. With three solo shows in 2025-2026 I will surely be very busy and I`m hoping you`ll stay along for the ride. I`m excited by all the possibilities that await our journey! Aren`t you!⁠
Media Description: Painting on easel in studio of the artist, Mary Ahern.
...

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I have been keeping a journal every single day for years. Based upon the lessons I learned from Matthew Dicks and his Homework for Life, I found that writing each day helped me to recognize so much about who I am, what I do, and who and what I surround myself with. It helps me to appreciate each and every day of my life. I dropped the over 70,000 words from last year`s journal into the Wordcloud website, and it distilled my writing into this cool graphic. Each one of these words figured multiple times throughout the year. Each of them speaks to my heart and soul. What a great memory!

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I have been keeping a journal every single day for years. Based upon the lessons I learned from Matthew Dicks and his Homework for Life, I found that writing each day helped me to recognize so much about who I am, what I do, and who and what I surround myself with. It helps me to appreciate each and every day of my life. I dropped the over 70,000 words from last year's journal into the Wordcloud website, and it distilled my writing into this cool graphic. Each one of these words figured multiple times throughout the year. Each of them speaks to my heart and soul. What a great memory!

I have been keeping a journal every single day for years. Based upon the lessons I learned from Matthew Dicks and his Homework for Life, I found that writing each day helped me to recognize so much about who I am, what I do, and who and what I surround myself with. It helps me to appreciate each and every day of my life. I dropped the over 70,000 words from last year`s journal into the Wordcloud website, and it distilled my writing into this cool graphic. Each one of these words figured multiple times throughout the year. Each of them speaks to my heart and soul. What a great memory! ...

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This gorgeous orange hibiscus is blooming on the shrub I bring indoors each fall to let it overwinter in the house. She goes outdoors again in the spring to spend the summer on my deck. It`s the plant that keeps giving. The succulent prints on the wall behind her are from my digital imaging series. They`re printed on canvas and framed in black wood. The gray matte is also digital, a great illusion that enhances the succulent images.

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This gorgeous orange hibiscus is blooming on the shrub I bring indoors each fall to let it overwinter in the house. She goes outdoors again in the spring to spend the summer on my deck. It's the plant that keeps giving. The succulent prints on the wall behind her are from my digital imaging series. They're printed on canvas and framed in black wood. The gray matte is also digital, a great illusion that enhances the succulent images.

This gorgeous orange hibiscus is blooming on the shrub I bring indoors each fall to let it overwinter in the house. She goes outdoors again in the spring to spend the summer on my deck. It`s the plant that keeps giving. The succulent prints on the wall behind her are from my digital imaging series. They`re printed on canvas and framed in black wood. The gray matte is also digital, a great illusion that enhances the succulent images. ...

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Great way to start the new year is buying evergreens for 50% off. They make me so happy in winter in their cheerful pots and then I plant them in the very early spring in my garden. Where they continue to make me happy. Thanks Home Depot.

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Great way to start the new year is buying evergreens for 50% off. They make me so happy in winter in their cheerful pots and then I plant them in the very early spring in my garden. Where they continue to make me happy. Thanks Home Depot.

Great way to start the new year is buying evergreens for 50% off. They make me so happy in winter in their cheerful pots and then I plant them in the very early spring in my garden. Where they continue to make me happy. Thanks Home Depot. ...

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The season is official now. My grandson CJ has decorated the Tree. Since he was hanging his binky on the tree, he arrives each holiday season to decorate the tree with a lifetime of memories. We cherish all these moments!

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The season is official now. My grandson CJ has decorated the Tree. Since he was hanging his binky on the tree, he arrives each holiday season to decorate the tree with a lifetime of memories. We cherish all these moments!

The season is official now. My grandson CJ has decorated the Tree. Since he was hanging his binky on the tree, he arrives each holiday season to decorate the tree with a lifetime of memories. We cherish all these moments! ...

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Posted in Art Exhibitions, Artwork, Meet the Artist, New Work, NEWS, Show Schedule, Work in Progress | Tagged Instagram

Awakenings in the Garden: An Artist’s Journey

Mary Ahern Artist Posted on September 30, 2024 by Mary AhernSeptember 30, 2024

My garden has been the inspiration behind my art for decades but formally studying horticulture introduced me to an entirely new understanding of the garden. Studying the science behind this living environment at my doorstep, was and continues to be a source of endless investigation. Not just in the beauty a garden can project, but in the sustainability, the interaction, and reliability of the vast array of life forms involved in creating a mutually dependent whole. Because of this deep study of my garden, my art has changed. As I’ve grown in an awareness of the complexity of the garden that I’ve designed and tended for over 35 years, my art has changed too by becoming more expressive, less realistic, and more multilayered.

I first became aware of how I was being transformed, not just by having more technical knowledge through my studies in horticulture when one day, standing in my garden, my clothes and hands covered in dirt, scratched and bug bitten, a wave of quiet contentment entered my very being. Yes, I was exhausted, and my body was aching from the hours of hard physical labor, but something different was flowing through my mind. It was a sense of awakening. I felt it but I was not able to articulate clearly what I felt. I still don’t have the words completely to express this transformation. So, I have been trying to do so through my art.

Mary in Her Studio Working on Phaelanopsis Orchid (December 2020)

Working in my studio on the Phaelanopsis Orchid (December 2020)

Spending years since then of work both in my mind and physically, I have dug deeper into the metaphor the garden has represented to me about all living beings. It has taught me that in order to survive, the building of communities is needed to create a harmonic, healthy balance. The garden speaks to me of survival. I watch hummingbirds, with their long beaks, attracted to the long tubular flowers of the Salvias. I smell the late day fragrance of the Brugmansia as it seduces night pollinators less exhausted from a day’s work to help the lifecycle. Each insect, each flower, each fungus is only trying to survive for another season, another year, another generation. We as humans, like the complexities found in the garden are also trying to survive and hopefully prosper.

In my studio, my large, centrally focused flower paintings have been inspired by the imagery I saw through the microscopes used during my scientific studies in horticulture. The bold colors and large sized paintings were my way of grabbing the attention of the viewer just as the stunning presentation of a bold peony blossom calls out for attention.

Phaelanopsis Orchid (A Work in Progress,

Phaelanopsis Orchid (A Work in Progress, December 2020)
© Mary Ahern

Over time the education I am receiving from the garden has been changing me. My artwork reflects my deepening thoughts, abstract concepts, and my openness to explore new ideas and deeper theories of the world surrounding us.

During Covid, another revelation presented itself to me. I began to look at the imagery posted online by NASA showing us the galaxy of which we are but a small part. I realized that the entire universe also depended upon that harmony and balance all of us, the garden included, must have in order to exist. This awareness of the delicacy of both the microcosm and the macrocosm of our worlds is what I am now trying to express in my artwork. Blending abstractions inspired by the cosmos transparently through the realistic flowers grown in my garden informs the current work in my studio.

The awareness of the multi-layered reliance on other forces to help in survival is humbling. This new awareness has deepened my gratitude. This is what I am now attempting to create in my studio.

Cosmic Phaelanopsis​ on Oil ~ 24 x 24 inches. Deep Cradled Hardboard

Cosmic Phaelanopsis​
Oil ~ 24 x 24 inches. Deep Cradled Hardboard.  Available on the website here.
© Mary Ahern

Note: “Cosmic Phaelanopsis” is the final work after I put the piece aside for two years due to being dissatisfied with its direction. The final “Cosmic Phaelanopsis” is an example of the new direction my work has taken.
​
Partial Artist Statement:
This artwork sparks a vital conversation reflecting the interconnectedness and balance within the microcosm of my garden and the macrocosm of the cosmos. My work draws inspiration from the life cycle of flowers to explore existential questions about existence, purpose, fragility, and interconnectedness.


Originally published in Sanctuary Magazine. July 2024 and in my Art Blog here

Leave a reply

Northport Neighbors Magazine Feature Article

Mary Ahern Artist Posted on May 20, 2024 by Mary AhernMay 20, 2024

“In Full Bloom”  By Debbie Mercer.

Mary Ahern and Dave Ruedeman Find Inspiration in Life – and Each Other. May 2024

Mary Ahern and Dave Ruedeman

Mary and Dave in their garden. Len Marks Photography

Circles figure prominently in the lives of Mary Ahern and David Ruedeman. In her woodland garden and in her paintings, circles represent women. In a romantic example of life coming full circle, the two worked together, lost touch, and found each other again. Their first official date was on wheels – a memorable bike ride in which Mary got a flat and Dave came to her rescue.

But if you ask Mary, she’ll likely tell you it was all more of what she calls a zigzag. You see, these two are masters of the pivot. Throughout the years they’ve continuously reinvented themselves, whether out of a financial need at the time or simply an innate, overwhelming desire to learn new things and break new ground.

Forging a Path

Mary started out on a pretty straightforward course. She was raised in a traditional European upbringing in which her parents didn’t believe girls should get a college education. Mary finished high school, married at 20, and raised two small boys. “I didn’t know any women who were educated,” she recalls. That all changed when she met Roberta Koepfer at the YMCA, a professor at Queens College who inspired her to take some classes. On Wednesday nights, Mary began taking oil painting. She had no background in art but after the fifth class, her teacher told her, “Mary, I can’t teach you anymore. You need more instruction.”

Mary At Home In Her Studio. Photo: Len Marks Photography

Mary put herself through college, earning an art degree from Queens College in 1980. However, divorce followed, and Mary found herself on her own with two small boys to feed. “I had no training, no skills to earn a living,” she says. A quick zigzag led her to work at Columbia University, where she studied computer programming for free, only to take a job where the money was – the burgeoning field of computer sales. She understood the potential, and ended up being part of the team who opened the first computer center in Radio Shack in Valley Stream in the early 80s. More work zigzags later, she ended up at Chyron selling computer graphics to the television and production industry. “You really needed to teach people what these things were capable of,” she says. “I was one of the only women in the industry. My fine art had to take a back seat. But I was doing my art through the equipment I was selling.”

Rediscovering Each Other

Dave on their bike cruise on the Rhine River

The “go-to” guy at Chyron was Dave Ruedeman, who had a degree as an electrical engineer. “That’s where I stumbled on my life’s work,” he says. “I found out I was put on this earth to be a problem solver. I had to finish an abandoned computer design, which was crucial to the survival of Chyron. Delving in new technology and gaining an intimate understanding of how computers work was, for me, life changing.” As the head of engineering, Dave’s team were the ones who were creating the equipment that Mary was selling.

Fast forward about eight years. By then Mary had, as she says, “gotten a concussion on the glass ceiling” and started her own company. “I spoke tech, so all of my clients were smaller engineering firms. I was like an outsource marketing dept. I would get a photographer and shoot the products and then put the logos on digitally. I was consulting and creating brochures.” She took on the internet and taught herself how to design websites. On business trips she would take along her art supplies to relax – and once again reignited her passion. “My art started to seep back into me. And I knew I had to pay attention to it,” she recalls.

As fate would have it, one of her freelance gigs at the time involved writing an operation manual for her old company Chyron. She ran into Dave while there one day and the two caught up. He suggested a bike ride out to Eaton’s Neck, and Mary agreed. It was only when they pedaled out there that Mary discovered Dave too was divorced, and that this was, in fact, a date. Once back at her house, Dave saw her art hanging on the walls and was totally knocked for a loop. “I had no idea what she was about,” he says. “It actually blew me away.”

They tied the knot in 1997. By then Mary’s garden, which she’d begun in 1989, was itself a work of art – so much so that Dave encouraged her to design gardens for others. That led Mary to Farmingdale College where she graduated with a degree in horticulture in 2000 – 20 years after earning her art degree. A turn at the New York Botanical Gardens soon followed, where Mary earned a 2-year certificate in botanical illustration.

 

Circle entrance to Mary’s woodland garden.

Bike Cruising, Art, and the Garden

Mary working on her Iris painting – part of her one-woman show at the Atelier at Flowerfield

In the meantime, Dave did his own zigzags. He got his master’s in computer science in 1983 and started designing software. About 10 years ago, he took his love of biking up to a whole new level and started doing “centuries” – one hundred mile rides out to Montauk via a scenic route. Longer distances and more intricate trips soon followed. He’s done RAGBRAI (Register’s Annual Great Bicycle Ride Across Iowa) – twice. “RAGBRAI is a thing of beauty,” he says. It covers 400-500 miles, and the route changes every year.

Riders dip their rear tire in the Missouri River when starting and their front tire in the Mississippi River at the end. For those trips, he joined an outfitter to move his tent, gear, and supplies up the road while he biked. “It’s a great incentive to keep going,” he laughs. “My clothes were fifty plus miles ahead!”

Mary on their bike cruise in the Netherlands

“He’s a more powerful biker,” Mary says. “He’ll ride 50-80 miles a day which isn’t my style. I’ll do 20-mile rides and stay on the bike paths.” Together they have taken bike cruises from Paris to Amsterdam, as well as Portland Oregon along the Columbia River, ending in Idaho. That first trip is truly a favorite memory for the couple. It coincided exactly with their 25th wedding anniversary, when they arrived in Paris and were greeted with champagne, balloons, and hearts on their hotel bed – courtesy of Mary’s daughter-in-law Sherri. “We couldn’t believe it,” Mary laughs. “It was so fabulous.” In another one of life’s sweet moments on that trip, Dave saw the Tour de France from the Champs Elysees, while Mary literally bumped into it later when she exited the Louvre. The two have other biking cruises on the horizon. In June, they’ll be heading down the Danube River, starting in Prague and ending in Budapest.

Mary and Dave at home in their garden.
Photo: Len Marks Photography

Today they’re retired in a non-retirement sort of way. “We don’t call this retirement because we both work intensely,” Mary explains. “But we’re working now at things we enjoy.” Dave does consulting and teaches IT for companies all over the world, including a NATO group earlier this year. In an interesting twist on today’s modern roles, he’s also “tech support” for his grandson – a fact which they clearly love.

Mary’s artwork continues to anchor her. Her solo exhibition “Not Just a Pretty Flower” featuring her large Georgia-O’Keeffe inspired artwork, is on display at the Atelier at Flowerfield through the end of May. It’s a provocative exploration of what she views as the interconnectedness and balance within the microcosm of her garden and the macrocosm of the cosmos. “The paintings are large so that they demand conversation,” she explains. “That’s why I want to do big paintings. So that it’s in your face. Why is she doing this? Why is it like that? What is the message?’ That’s my latest body of work.”

She also volunteers her time as the Public Relations Chair of the National Association of Women Artists which is celebrating its 135th anniversary this year. “I love paying it forward to help empower other women artists to achieve the success they envision for themselves. Feminism, Artists, Empowerment, these are my sweet spots.”

Not bad for two people who reimagined themselves through hard times and ended up on the other side. They’re clearly savoring each moment and drawing inspiration from each other. “Our lives were not easy.” Mary reflects. “We crawled over broken glass to get where we are now. So, every day we look at each other and we laugh and hug because we’re so joyful. We can’t believe how lucky and happy we are.”


 

Posted in NEWS, Press Articles | Tagged Press | 1 Reply

Not Just Another Pretty Flower. A Solo Exhibition by the Artist Mary Ahern at The Atelier At Flowerfields

Mary Ahern Artist Posted on April 8, 2024 by Mary AhernApril 15, 2024

Embedded With Conversations on Harmony and Balance from the Garden to the Galaxy

The Atelier At Flowerfield is thrilled to announce:

“Not Just Another Pretty Flower3 a Mary Ahern Art Show” 

April 18 to May 30, 2024,

2 Flowerfield, St. James, NY 11772.

Opening Reception: Thursday, April 18, 2024. 5:30 – 7:30 PM

Meet The Artist: Saturday, April 27, 2024. 1 – 3 PM

Mary Ahern’s art is deeply rooted in symbolism, dynamically reflecting the interconnectedness and delicate balance within both the microcosm of her garden and the macrocosm of the cosmos These artworks spark a vital conversation about these essential issues. Drawing inspiration from the vibrant community of life in her garden, her flowers invite universal questions of existence and purpose in their quest for survival, eventual senescence, and rebirth.

The identifiable floral Images she creates are glazed and intertwined with her abstract underpaintings inspired by the recent awe-inspiring visuals of the universe. By recognizing the delicate balance required for both terrestrial and celestial ecosystems to thrive, she aims to provide a visual context for understanding the essential balance necessary to sustain life’s intricate harmony across all scales – from the tiniest flower to the grandest galaxy.

Employing imagery that balances both abstraction and realism, she is mirroring the delicate equilibrium needed for universal survival. Her extensive use of transparent glazing between the garden and the galaxy exemplifies the need for open discourse, which she believes is necessary to ensure the health and survival of all species.

Ahern’s artistic process involves employing unique techniques that she has continued to refine over the course of 50 years. Through the years of experimentation and refinement, she developed a distinctive approach to painting that reflects her artistic vision and also her philosophy. Through this layered, evocative imagery, she invites viewers to pause, contemplate, and cultivate a deeper appreciation for the fragile yet resilient web of life that sustains our world and cosmos.

The Atelier at Flowerfield shares Ahern’s commitment to promoting appreciation of the arts. As part of its mission, The Atelier strives to preserve beauty through the learning, understanding, creation, and enjoyment of art in all its forms.

Also Visit the website of The Atelier At Flowerfield: www.atelieratflowerfield.org

Mary Ahern Art Exhibition Announcement

Posted in Art Exhibitions, Meet the Artist, NEWS, Press Articles, Show Schedule | Tagged Exhibitions | Leave a reply

Trimming Hellebores. My First Gardening Task of the Spring

Mary Ahern Artist Posted on February 29, 2024 by Mary AhernFebruary 29, 2024
That first sunny warm day in February seduces me into my garden to begin my spring gardening tasks before the last snowstorms of winter reappear for a brief visit. It is a happy day for me each year when I reach for my Felco’s, put on my gardening gloves, pick up my rake and head out to reunite with my garden.

February Hellebores ready for trimming. Mary Ahern

February Hellebores ready for trimming. Mary Ahern

READ MORE ABOUT TRIMMING HELLEBORES HERE


 

Posted in Garden Blog, NEWS | Tagged Garden News | Leave a reply

My Dual Passions – Art and Gardening

Mary Ahern Artist Posted on February 5, 2024 by Mary AhernFebruary 5, 2024

At the age of 14, I was alone and lying in the summer grass on a hill in Brooklyn, New York, staring upward through the leaves at the passing clouds while trying to understand why a person I loved dearly had suddenly died. Without an anchor or language to explain the passage, I was at a profound loss and searching for an answer, an explanation. I clearly remember feeling the warm energy from the ground swell up and pass through my body and like a mist, mingle into the leaves and up into the clouds in that deeply blue sky.

At that moment, I recognized that I, as a person, was just another aspect of nature, joined with the wind, the air, the plants, the trees, and all life teeming around me – just another form of energy. This gift has been with me throughout my life and is what I gather in my garden and express in my art.

1985 - Mary Ahern in the Cablevision studio working with the Chameleon electronic paint system.

1985 – Mary Ahern in the Cablevision studio working with the Chameleon electronic paint system.

Mary-painting-the white iris in her studio

Painting in my studio. The white iris blooms in my garden each spring. I glaze with thin washes using a fan brush and thinned paints.

My Zig-Zag Journey
Like most of us, our life journey takes many paths. For me, my twists and turns led me to a career that blended my fine arts training with my technical background.

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The Start Of My Artistic Journey 50 Years Ago

Mary Ahern Artist Posted on September 17, 2023 by Mary AhernSeptember 17, 2023

My first step towards discovering that my life’s work would be an artistic journey was buying a Jon Gnagy, Learn to Draw set and experiencing a sensation that the charcoal was an extension of my hand, my arm and my body. It was thrilling!

The Original Jon Gnagy, Learn to Draw set

After completing his entire set of drawing lessons, I decided to take painting classes at the local YMCA where I lived at the time in Queens, NY. So, I arranged for a babysitter, signed up for the oil painting class and made my first foray into Jerry’s Artarama art supply store with my supply shopping list in hand. How electrifying to be exposed to so many wonderful and exciting new products, widgets, thingies, colors, brushes, papers and canvas. Oh, the possibilities!

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Garden Blog Post – Overwintering My Summer Tropical Garden

Mary Ahern Artist Posted on June 21, 2023 by Mary AhernAugust 7, 2023

Overwintering My Summer Tropical Garden is now posted on my garden blog.

I wrote about how I converted my darkroom into a plant room with sinks, counters and LED lighting.. I show a four month sequence of photos from my plant room to the deck where the plants spend their summer vacation.

Read more here..

June 6, 2023 Deck Plantings

Read about how I overwinter my tropical garden on my Garden Blog Here.

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Fine Art Connoisseur – Changing the Narrative for Women in Art

Mary Ahern Artist Posted on March 6, 2021 by Mary AhernMarch 6, 2021

The National Association of Women Artists is the oldest art organization in the country. NAWA. Supporting Women Artists Since 1889.

This article about NAWA, published by the Fine Art Connoisseur magazine, focuses on this prestigious women’s art organization of which I am a juried-in member. I’m so amazed and delighted to be one of the artists whose work is featured in this article. Wow!

Here is a reprint of the article which is online on their Website.

Fine Art Connoisseur

Changing the Narrative for Women in Art

By Cherie Dawn Haas -February 23, 2021

Mary-Ahern-NAWA member

For NAWA member Mary Ahern, flowers represent a microcosm of the universe in their cycles of living and loving, families and relationships as well as their quest for survival and eventual senescence and rebirth.

It’s easy for some to forget that not that long ago in history, women had few opportunities for making art, much less becoming professional artists. Even today there are challenges, which is why it’s important to highlight the oldest women’s fine art organization in the country, the National Association of Women Artists (NAWA).

“NAWA was founded by a group of women artists not content to be kept out of salons, exhibitions and galleries open to male artists in the 19th century,” Amy Hutto, a juried member of NAWA, says. “While great strides have been made, women artists continue to be underrepresented and our work undervalued monetarily compared to our male counterparts still today. Our goals, among many others, are to educate, inspire, promote and celebrate the art work and accomplishments of women artists, our members in particular.”

Lisa Daria Kennedy-NAWA. Member

NAWA member Lisa Daria Kennedy. Since 2009, she has committed to an on-going daily painting project. As a young adult cancer survivor, she discovered living is not just surviving. Each painting seeks to give a voice to the fiber of the everyday.

Hutto, a colorist whose subject focus is on domestic and wild animals, is from Austin, Texas, and currently lives in the Finger Lakes region of New York.

I had the opportunity to ask Hutto a few questions about the importance and benefits of NAWA, including a question that makes women in particular cringe.

Cherie Dawn Haas: Can you tell me a little about yourself please, and why you chose to join NAWA?

Amy Hutto: I chose to join NAWA because of its prestigious reputation, historical significance and its long history of spotlighting the under-represented art of women in a predominately male oriented profession.

I also wanted to connect with other artists across the country, and now I converse regularly with professional women artists in Colorado, South Carolina, and all over. I feel like I have my finger on the pulse of the art world in real-time.

CDH: What is your response when someone says, “They don’t have an association just for men?”

AH: I explain that the art world has traditionally been an association for men. Men have long dominated salons, galleries, and museums throughout history. Many women don’t even sign their full name on their work, just their initials, to remove any preconceived notions about art created by a woman. The National Association of Women Artists is working to change that narrative.

CDH: What are some of the ways in which men can support NAWA and women artists in general?

AH: NAWA does have many men who support us and we appreciate them a great deal! We have men on our Executive Board of Directors who support women artists. Men who are in the business of art whether as creators, gallery owners, curators, etc…acknowledgement; in-kind recognition and more inclusive practices that strive for more balanced representation; and additionally to support efforts for women created works of art to be monetarily valued as equal to that of men’s art.

Non-members of the art world can also show their support of NAWA through financial donations and endowments which allow us to grow our organization, hence increasing awareness of women artists and their contributions to the art industry.

Joyce Byrnes-NAWA member

NAWA member Joyce Byrnes is a pastel artist living in Rockland County, NY. In her paintings, she seeks to convey the light, color and textures she finds in nature.

CDH: What are some of the benefits of joining NAWA?

AH: There are so many benefits of joining NAWA; national exposure through NAWA’s website, the ability to participate in exhibitions that are exclusive to NAWA members both online and in exhibition spaces, the contacts one can establish with artists across the country, the support of other artists experiencing the same issues in our industry, access to a wealth of knowledge and expertise shared with other members on our social media sites, as well as having artwork listed in our catalogs and stored in the archives at Alexander Library at Rutgers University. I could go on and on.

I will add just one more thing. Being able to be a part of this historical organization whose sole purpose is to empower women artists, and to see my name alongside artist powerhouses such as Mary Cassatt, Faith Ringgold, and Judy Chicago is an enormous honor. Such a feeling of accomplishment is difficult to put in words.

CDH: Have there been any unexpected positive results for the artists in this association?

AH: Yes, having our organization featured here! Thank you very much for the opportunity to visit with you and share a little about NAWA and our artists. You never know where connections will lead, and you don’t make connections unless you reach out.

I reached out to join NAWA and once I was accepted, a whole world of opportunity opened for me. That’s what we want for our members; to show them that we value them as an artist by selecting them through a juried process to join our esteemed organization and by providing ongoing opportunities for education, inspiration and promotion of their work – connecting with them not only on a professional level, but personal level.

CDH: Does NAWA have any upcoming exhibitions?

AH: We currently have “The Resilience of Grief” and “Winter Small Works,” which are online exhibitions that will carry us into spring. They will be followed by “Special Women / HERstory” and an invitational exhibition, Art Angels which will lead into our first summer exhibition for our new members held in June.

One not to miss premier’s in October with NAWA’s 132nd Annual Members Exhibition. Our Massachusetts, South Carolina, and Florida Chapters are holding both virtual and live exhibitions. A complete list can also be found online at: thenawa.org.

NAWA-art-exhibition

Members and the public alike enjoy an exhibition of art from NAWA

CDH: Anything else you’d like to add?

AH: I’d like to mention that NAWA Headquarters recently moved into a new location. We are now privileged to call the National Arts Club building at Gramercy Park South in New York City our new home. This is a beautiful and historically significant building and when we are able to return to in person shows, we will have an incredible new space to host them in.

In the meantime, please visit our website www.thenawa.org and like our Facebook page @TheNAWA, to see what our incredible artists and the organization is doing. Lastly I want to thank you again for the opportunity to share a little about the National Association of Women Artists. Having a chance to highlight the issue of under-representation of women artists, is critical. Art is an ever-evolving form of expression that belongs to all of us. We each have the power to change the status quo for the betterment of not only ourselves, but the women artists who come after us.

Cadillac Ranch with Longhorn by Amy Hutto

“Cadillac Ranch with Longhorn” by Amy Hutto, NAWA member


Cherie Dawn Haas-EditorCherie Dawn Haas
Cherie Dawn Haas is the Editor of Realism Today, as well as the Online Content Manager for FineArtConnoisseur.com and OutdoorPainter.com (home of Plein Air Magazine). She is a “maker” who loves to write, dance, and explore various other forms of creative self-expression, including mixed media art.
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National Association of Women Artists – Fall 2020 Newsletter

Mary Ahern Artist Posted on December 3, 2020 by Mary AhernDecember 3, 2020

I am honored to have my painting “Pay Attention Here – Orange Hibiscus” on the cover of the Fall 2020 Newsletter of NAWA, The National Association of Artists. I was juried as a full member into this prestigious historic organization in November of 2018.

NAWA was founded on January 31, 1889 to offer women a greater opportunity as professional artists in a male-dominated art world.  From the onset, the annual exhibitions of the women’s Art Club were a great success, attracting the participation of women artists such as Mary Cassatt, Suzanne Valadon, Rosa Bonheur and Cecelia Beaux. As the organization grew, its membership included prominent artists like Gertrude Vanderbilt Whitney and Anna Hyatt Huntington.

Many members have taken their rightful place among the recognized artists of their time. Louise Nevelson, Nell Blaine,  Alice Neel, Marisol, Judy Chicago, Miriam Schapiro, Janet Fish, Audrey Flack and Faith Ringgold. It is a great honor for me to be afforded such an inspiring brush with history and talent.

Here is a link to the National Association of Women Artists Fall 2020 Newsletter

Pay Attention Here - Orange Hibiscus 36x36" GW Oil on Canvas by the artist, Mary Ahern

Pay Attention Here – Orange Hibiscus 36×36″ GW Oil on Canvas. View this on other oil paintings on my website here.

This is the statement I wrote for the NAWA publication.

For years, I have created floral and garden paintings as the subject of my art. During the last number of years, I’ve focused ever more closely on the centers of flowers as they speak to me more deeply of the reason for their existence. And ours as well.

As a passionate gardener, I am inspired by the gardens I designed and tend surrounding my own studio in Northport. These flowers represent to me a microcosm of the universe. The outsize scale of these individual flower portraits demands attention. They ask questions beyond the canvas.

What is the purpose for such magnificence in nature? What is the reason for such color, such form, such diversity? What is their relationship to the communities in which they belong, their relationships with other plants and species that sustain them, invade them and nourish them? What of their lifecycle of birth, growth, senescence and rebirth? As humans, what can we learn from their seemingly simple existence?

Initially, we see with our eyes. We name the subject, identify it and classify it. But, we also have a duality of vision which allows us to contemplate with an inner vision. This art invites both the external and internal views.

The dual naming of each painting reflects the complex meaning of the work and is an enticement to think more deeply about the subject. This painting, Pay Attention Here – Orange Hibiscus, is at first a call for contemplation of purpose and secondarily, the common name of the flower which enables a more familiar entry into the conversation.


 

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