Red Dress, by Mary Shea. Sketch from one of the Seattle Artist League online classes.
This is a post about a new member of the Seattle Artist League: Mary Shea. I’m proud to say she’s set up to teach drawing with us this quarter. I wanted to share some of her work that so excited me.
I met Mary Shea in one of our online art class during the pandemic. We were taking Jonathan Harkham’s Transcriptions class, and I loved how she used color.
There was one project assignment in which Jonathan challenged us to take a figure from the Villa of Mysteries and put it into an interior by Bonnard.
Piece of the Villa of Mysteries, a series of frescoes in PompeiiPiece of the Villa of Mysteries, a series of frescoes in PompeiiQuick pencil study of figures from the Villa of Mysteries by Mary SheaQuick pencil study of figures from the Villa of Mysteries by Mary SheaBonnard drawing for inspirationMary Shea’s sketch with Bonnard’s interior and figures from the Villa of Mysteries
Mary’s drawing is striking, with a beautiful sense of light and space and movement through the composition. It has a temporal feeling, as if it was just an extended second with us as guests at their table on a sunny day, the window open.
“Dark-Lunch” by Mary Shea (forgive the poor lighting)“Light-Lunch” by Mary Shea
Mary’s two resulting paintings show a possible light and dark completion. While the green and red in the first painting vibrate brilliantly, the abstract and suggestive nature in the second, the lighter of the paintings puts my mind into a more active dream-like state.
Below is a selection of some of Mary Shea’s other works. Look how she plays with light and color. If you find the work interesting, consider taking her drawing class. Basic Drawing starts April 13.
Drawings
Window at Dusk, by Mary SheaOn the Ferry, by Mary SheaDaylight, by Mary SheaPoppies – Italy, by Mary Shea
Paintings
Self PortraitSunlight, by Mary SheaMy Parents at the Table, by Mary SheaTwilight Garden, by Mary Shea
Exercise your creativity This SAL Challenge is a vocabulary based creative challenge every day for January. Materials are artist’s choice. You can draw, paint, sew, collage, sculpt your food, anything you want. See below for today’s creative challenge. Set the timer for 20 minutes and see what happens. JENTACULAR adj. – pertaining to breakfast Of …
Red Cadmium Red: “Matisse was much taken with this strong new red, which has excellent stability. He recounts that he attempted, unsuccessfully, to persuade Renoir to adopt a “cadmium red” in place of the traditional cinnabar. Matisse inherited the use of intense cadmium red, a 19th century invention, from the Impressionists. The critic John Rusell …
I overheard some League painters talking about dumb shit they do when they paint: simple things that are easy to solve, but cause us extended frustration. I laughed, listening to all the things we share in common. If you’re painting and it’s not going well, here are some fixable things you can check for: Are …
Readers often send me personal responses to these V. Note postings. Yesterday I received a story I had to share. “I went to Linfield college in the late 60s and we had a seminar that Andy Warhol spoke at. I was excited to attend as I was and am a big fan of his. He …
Mary Shea; Drawn to Color
This is a post about a new member of the Seattle Artist League: Mary Shea. I’m proud to say she’s set up to teach drawing with us this quarter. I wanted to share some of her work that so excited me.
I met Mary Shea in one of our online art class during the pandemic. We were taking Jonathan Harkham’s Transcriptions class, and I loved how she used color.
There was one project assignment in which Jonathan challenged us to take a figure from the Villa of Mysteries and put it into an interior by Bonnard.
Mary’s drawing is striking, with a beautiful sense of light and space and movement through the composition. It has a temporal feeling, as if it was just an extended second with us as guests at their table on a sunny day, the window open.
Mary’s two resulting paintings show a possible light and dark completion. While the green and red in the first painting vibrate brilliantly, the abstract and suggestive nature in the second, the lighter of the paintings puts my mind into a more active dream-like state.
Below is a selection of some of Mary Shea’s other works. Look how she plays with light and color. If you find the work interesting, consider taking her drawing class. Basic Drawing starts April 13.
Drawings
Paintings
Mary Shea’s Bio
Register for Basic Drawing, beginning April 13
mary-shea.com
IG: marysheaseattle
Related Posts
SAL Challenge 23: JENTACULAR
Exercise your creativity This SAL Challenge is a vocabulary based creative challenge every day for January. Materials are artist’s choice. You can draw, paint, sew, collage, sculpt your food, anything you want. See below for today’s creative challenge. Set the timer for 20 minutes and see what happens. JENTACULAR adj. – pertaining to breakfast Of …
Red. White. Blue.
Red Cadmium Red: “Matisse was much taken with this strong new red, which has excellent stability. He recounts that he attempted, unsuccessfully, to persuade Renoir to adopt a “cadmium red” in place of the traditional cinnabar. Matisse inherited the use of intense cadmium red, a 19th century invention, from the Impressionists. The critic John Rusell …
Frustrated? A Simple Checklist for Painters
I overheard some League painters talking about dumb shit they do when they paint: simple things that are easy to solve, but cause us extended frustration. I laughed, listening to all the things we share in common. If you’re painting and it’s not going well, here are some fixable things you can check for: Are …
Andy Warhol’s speech at Linfield College
Readers often send me personal responses to these V. Note postings. Yesterday I received a story I had to share. “I went to Linfield college in the late 60s and we had a seminar that Andy Warhol spoke at. I was excited to attend as I was and am a big fan of his. He …