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Mary Ahern
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Mary Ahern – Artist Showcase
Light Space & Time Online Art Gallery is extremely pleased to announce that Mary Ahern has been named as the Gallery’s new featured artist and she will now be promoted by the gallery for the next 14 days in the gallery’s Artist Showcase.
Mary Ahern is a New York based artist whose art is as intricately entwined as the gardens surrounding her studio. Cultivating and tending those gardens are the first stage of creating the art that grows in her studio. Mary was selected as 1 of the top twelve finalists in the gallery’s recent Solo Art Exhibition Series #11. The placement in this competition qualified her art to be showcased in this feature.
Mary’s Artist Showcase feature will be promoted to over 350+ major news outlets, with inclusion on Google News & Bing News. In addition, the gallery will also be featuring and promoting her landscape art in the gallery’s various social media networks for further exposure.
Below is Mary’s Artist Statement and 5 images that were submitted to this competition.
Artist Statement
VORACIOUSLY CONSUMING LIFE
Through the twisting paths and obstacles in life, the two constants for me have been my Art and my Garden. These are my anchors. They keep me balanced, complete, secure. The arrival of spring flings me from my studio where I’ve been creating my Art all winter, into the emerging garden surrounding my studio. The colors shout optimism to me. The joyous season has begun again. This is where I grow my subjects and gather the imagery for my work. I’ve been an Artist for eons, exploring as all true Artists do, a myriad of subjects and with enough mediums that fill drawers and cabinets throughout my studio. I’ve been zigging and zagging throughout my journey with all the bumps and joyous bursts I could grab. Some of my work through the years has had autobiographical underpinnings, some of it was icy flat. I’ve worked big and I’ve worked small. But when it comes down to it, I love color.
RIFFING ON CLASSICAL ART
I love studying Art History. I’ve been doing it steadily now for decades. My personal library still contains the first book in which I saw the work of Georgia O’Keeffe. I wept each time I opened it. I had to limit myself to 10 pages a day since I was exhausted from looking, from feeling, from studying. I remember stroking the large pages hoping to absorb something, something unknowable to me at the time. Her work somehow spoke to my soul. Though I’ve absorbed some of Georgia’s iconography, when I’m painting in traditional oils I reach backwards to techniques of the Old Masters. I enjoy the process of grisaille painting with the painstaking layers of glazes but I do it with a modern flair. Speaking of modern, I may reach backwards to compositions inspired by Raphael’s Madonna del Prato but I may do the painting using digital mediums with Siberian irises as subjects. My classical Art education in New York City was probably the last gasp of formal training before the onset of conceptual and performance art took hold. My professors were all active and renowned in their fields, Wolf Kahn, Herb Aach, Robert Birmelin and Louis Finkelstein. The foundation in color and design they taught is still the basis of all my work. I am indeed fortunate to have studied with professors who opened their SOHO studios and used the NYC art scene as an integral part of their classroom. The proximity I still have with my studio one hour’s train ride from the array of museums and galleries in NYC is rejuvenating, inspiring and jump starting. My education never ends.
HURLING MYSELF THROUGH LIFE
Once I recognized that I was an Artist, I’ve always maintained a working studio even when at times circumstances prevented great productivity. Then I would sit in there and study my books of the masters, absorbing not only their techniques but also an understanding of the enormous obstacles most of them had to traverse in order to continue forward with their work. They kept me going. I make lemonade out of lemons. To remain in the world of creativity and support my sons as a single parent, I navigated into the nascent world of computer graphics during the 1980’s. Here I sold graphics and electronic paint systems to the Television & Production industry for use in on-air graphics and advertising. My Art training was put to good use as I demonstrated the systems to my target market of creative professionals who were just converting from traditional mediums to digital. After receiving a concussion on the glass ceiling, I began my own graphic design business. Designing print media for my clients turned into repurposing their material once they recognized the value of the Internet. I built my first website in 1995, the year after the Internet became publically available. Having a low threshold for boredom has helped me shape my ongoing career in the Arts by pushing me to continually try new ideas, concepts and mediums.
AND THEN FOR A REAL CHANGE OF PACE
Exactly 20 years after I graduated with my Fine Arts degree I graduated with a degree in Ornamental Horticulture with a focus on Landscape Design. I am combining my Art and my love for gardening that was instilled in me as a child by my favorite Uncle Teddy. I am absolutely driven with these two passions. In fact, in 2000 I rebuilt my home and added two studios overlooking the gardens I’ve designed over the decades. These gardens that surround me in the quaint town of Northport on Long Island and beyond are the main inspiration for my Art. I demand excellence in my work and continuously strive to be a subject-matter-expert in my fields of study. My expertise, not only in the mediums I choose but also in the subjects of horticulture and landscape design that I represent in my close-up florals and landscape paintings of gardens is critical to me. I have a passion for life and learning. It is at the core of my being and who I am as a person and as an Artist.
Mary’s website is: https://MaryAhernArtist.com
My World – Pink Anemone 36×36″ GW Oil on Canvas. $5,000.
Just Waiting – Free Spirit Rose Bud 36×36″ GW Oil on Canvas. $5,000.
Here I Am – Candy Wind Hibiscus. Oil on Canvas. 20×20″GW. $1,950
Pay Attention Here – Orange Hibiscus 36×36″ GW Oil on Canvas. $5,000.
Single White Peony Squared. Print available in a variety of sizes on canvas, fine art paper, acrylic and aluminum. Visit my online shop.
NAWA: National Association of Women Artists New Member
Mary Ahern speaking about her artwork at the Induction Ceremony of The National Association of Women Artists held at the Rubin Museum in New York City, November 2018.
On September 25, 2018 I received a letter congratulating me on having been accepted into the National Association of Women Artists, Inc. (NAWA). I had submitted my portfolio for review, my resume/CV, bio and Artist’s Statement. This is a juried acceptance to this prestigious organization and I am very proud to have my name on the same page as some of the amazing artists who have been affiliated with this organization over the years.
This is what is written about this organization on their website at: www.thenawa.org/nawa-history/
NAWA HIstory
To create greater opportunity for professional women artists in a male-dominated art world, on January 31, 1889, five innovative women, Anita C. Ashley, Adele Frances Bedell, Elizabeth S. Cheever, Grace Fitz-Randolph and Edith Mitchill Prellwitz met to discuss the formation of a women’s art organization. In an era when women artists were associated primarily with crafts and decorative arts, the founders of NAWA envisioned an organization which would promote higher standards for women artists and provide them with the opportunity to exhibit their work.
The history of NAWA is a testament to the strength and resilience of a group of strong women who would not accept being shut out of the art salons, galleries and art exhibitions open to male artists during the 19th century. Their founding of the organization proves that, despite adversity and discrimination – which many feel extends to this day — women are an integral and valuable part of the arts community.
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.
Over the years the organization attracted many talented members who later achieved great recognition for their work. Gertrude Vanderbilt Whitney established the Whitney Museum of Art in New York City. Anna Hyatt Huntington created the sculpture museum Brookgreen Gardens/ in South Carolina.
Many members and supporters have exhibited in major museums and have taken their rightful place among the recognized artists of their time. Louise Nevelson, Malvina Hoffman, Cleo Hartwig, Minna Citron, Nell Blaine, Dorothy Dehner, Alice Neel, Marisol, Pat Adams, Judy Chicago, Miriam Schapiro, Janet Fish and Audrey Flack, and other contemporary talented artists joined the organization making NAWA valid force in its time.
NAWA members represent all areas of the visual arts including painting, sculpture, encaustic photography, print-making,video art, installations and mixed media. The benefits of membership are many, including a substantial Awards program, the opportunity to display artwork throughout the U.S. in our Exhibitions program, and inclusion in NAWA’s Annual Catalog.
Through NAWA’s exhibitions, educational programs, events and archive, the Association fosters awareness of the monumental contribution of women to the history of American Culture and Art.
The organization is inclusive and serves professional women visual artists of all backgrounds and traditions that are at least 18 years of age and U .S. citizens or permanent residents.
THE NAWA PERMANENT COLLECTION
The NAWA permanent collection was established under the leadership of Liana Moonie in 1991. Housed at the Jane Voorhees Zimmerli Art Museum at Rutgers University in New Brunswick, New Jersey, the NAWA collection contains the work of artists dating from the organization’s earliest days to the present. Parts of the collection are continually on view at the museum and special exhibitions were created under the guidance of Jeffrey Wechsler.
Work in progress for my show at the Bayard Cutting Arboretum
Floral Contemplations: The Duality of Vision
New Work by Mary Ahern
Artist Talk Saturday June 9, 2018 1pm. Open to the Public
May 17 – June 17, 2018
Galleries Open to the Public Thursdays – Sundays 11 am until 4 pm
Bayard Cutting Arboretum
Historic Manor House
440 Montauk Highway
Great River NY 11739
For directions please visit the Bayard Cutting Arboretum website
Mary Ahern brings her award-winning style of floral and garden inspired art to the Bayard Cutting Arboretum from May 17 through June 17, 2018. Three galleries of her floral portraits will be on display at the historic Manor House at the Bayard Cutting Arboretum in Great River NY. The galleries are open on Thursdays through Sundays from 11 am until 4 pm.
Mary Ahern, known for her brilliant floral and garden paintings will be showing her latest large-scale flower portraits. As a passionate gardener who is inspired by the gardens she designed and tends surrounding her own studio, these flowers represent to her a microcosm of the universe. The large scale of these individual portraits asks 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 it, 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.
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Artist lecture on Sunday, September 10, 2017 – 2PM
American Rhododendron Society – NY Chapter
Planting Fields Arboretum
1395 Planting Fields Road
Oyster Bay NY 11771
Newletter Announcement:
Mary Ahern, a former board member of the NY ARS will present “From the Garden to the Wall”, a program which describes the process of creating Art, whether in a painting on canvas or as a garden and planting design.
As an Artist with a degree in Fine Art with a focus on Painting, one in Ornamental Horticulture with a specialty in Landscape Design and a Certificate in Botanical Illustration from the New York Botanical Gardens, Mary brings decades of experience to her field.
Mary’s paintings reflect her passion for gardens. The colors, the textures, the lighting and the pathways tell stories of personal creative visions. She is inspired by her own extensive woodland garden in Northport as well as the many public and private gardens around Long Island.
Please visit her website to see her work at: www.MaryAhernArtist.com
More importantly, come to the meeting!
The focus of my talk will be on the design concepts and details that go into planning a garden or creating a painting. There are so many creative similarities used in the creative process and in the design of a pleasing experience to the mind and to the eyes in these disparate mediums.
Please join me in exploring the creative mind at work!
© Mary Ahern. February at Planting Fields. Art prints available in various sizes on canvas, fine art paper, metal and acrylic.
Daniel Gale & the Northport Arts Coalition Present
A Solo Fine Art Exhibition by
Mary Ahern
Now Through September 30, 2017
77 Main Street, Northport NY 11768
Come to the beautiful and quaint town of Northport NY for the outdoor dining,
the view of the harbor and the many Art Galleries.
Enjoy the large scale floral portaits by the Award winning Artist, Mary Ahern in this invitational Art Show.
All the Art is available for purchase!
Mary Ahern the Artist. Solo Art Show at the Daniel Gale Gallery in Northport NY.
Mary Ahern Art Show at Bayard Cutting Arboretum
” Beverly’s Welcome ” 30×24″ Mixed Media Canvas
Presents
“Gardens Revisited”
A Fine Art Exhibition by
Mary Ahern
May 28 – July 17, 2016
Opening Reception Sunday, June 12 from 1 – 4 PM
Refreshments will be served.
The gallery is open Thursdays Through Sunday’s
Bayard Cutting Arboretum
Manor House
440 Montauk Highway
Great River, NY 11739
P. 631-581-1002
Manor House
440 Montauk Highway
Great River, NY 11739
P. 631-581-1002
The Hidden Oak Cafe is located inside the Manor House, offering a varied menu of freshly prepared foods including sandwiches, quiche, soups, pies and other desserts. Take advantage of with their indoor or outdoor seating.
Make a day of it, roam this world class Arboretum, view Art and stay for lunch.
#MyLongIslandLandmarks Art Show at the Society for the Preservation of Long Island Antiquities
An exhibit of photos, paintings and illustrations featuring LI landmarks both popular and personal. Exploring what the word “landmark” means to each of the chosen Artists. The show features work from all over Long island.
This show has been curated by the former Chief Curator at the Nassau County Museum of Art, Franklin Hill Perrell and his business partner, Debbie Wells. Together they are Co-Founders of The Artful Circle where they are deeply immersed in the current Art Scene, running gallery tours in NYC & the Hamptons while supporting a myriad of needs of the Arts community from marketing, lectures, curating and more.
“#MYLongIslandLandmarks”
An Art Show inspired by the Instagram hashtag #MyLongIslandLandmarks. Included are stand-out submissions to their hashtag invitation as well as selected works by local artists who use Long Island as their subject.
SPLIA Gallery
161 Main Street
Cold Spring Harbor, NY 11724
161 Main Street
Cold Spring Harbor, NY 11724
Phone: 631-692-4664
Open Thursdays through Sundays 12-4PM
June 9th to November 20th, 2016
Opening Reception: Sunday, June 5, 2016
5-7PM
$5 suggested admission
Wheelchair Accessible
“Northport Harbor” 24×36″ Gallery Wrapped. Mixed Media Canvas.
This is my statement of what this Landmark means to me which will be presented along with my Mixed Media Painting at the Long Island Landmarks show.
“Northport was a destination for me for the many years I was a single parent, raising my sons, hoping for that idyllic life the town visually offers. I worked hard and saved for that dream, finally buying my own home in my favorite town. And then a surprise happened. I met Dave, he loved what I loved. Twenty years ago we married with great joy, with a summer sunset across the water, surrounded by boats, friends and family and as we like to say, we took the plunge at the end of the dock in Northport Harbor.”
Art Exhibition at Emma S. Clark Library, Setauket NY
Thinking ‘Outside the Box’ at the Mills Pond House Gallery: Bedazzled by the work of four fearless artists
Fifty years ago Marshall McLuhan philosophized that “the medium is the message,” aptly pointing out that the means by which content is conveyed speaks as loudly as the subject itself.
Smithtown Township Arts Council’s newest exhibit, “Outside the Box,” currently on view at Mills Pond House Gallery in St. James, showcases the work of four artists who are fearless in their quest to experiment, reinvent and meld the properties of diverse media.
Mary Ahern is known for resplendent large-scale floral studies inspired by her luxuriant Northport gardens. Ms. Ahern has a degree in horticulture and melds this knowledge with her expertise in painting and digital technology to create fine art pieces which are flamboyant feasts of color and detail. Of particular interest is the thought process behind the creation of her blue iris painting entitled “The Dance in the Garden.”
Although she said that she was never really a fan of Henri Matisse, Ms. Ahern had admired his painting, “La Danse” (“The Dance”) at the Museum of Modern Art. The piece is all about the communal motion of five nude women whose hands are clasped so that the group forms a circle.
“Using flowers from my own garden, I picked up the exuberant rhythm which makes his (Matisse’s) work such a delight,” Ms. Ahern said, expressing her satisfaction with her “re-imagination” of the flow of movement captured by Matisse. “It is so light, buoyant and a wonderful interpretation of what spring means to me,” she said of her piece.
The Dance in the Garden – Painting by Mary Ahern Artist. Prints of this painting are available in the online Art Shop.