Welcome To My Gallery
Starting a new painting is a personal journey for me. Am I going to take the same road? Am I going to go in a different direction this time? So many choices to make and what do I want to say? I tend to go back to the subject matter that excites me. I am captivated by sunlight streaming over a landscape, reflections in water, the sparkle of light on simple objects, or the drama of thunderclouds in the sky. Color can convey emotions, it can excite, it can create a sense of calm. Therefore, it is major component of my work. I am not interested in recording what the eye sees. Though illustration does require certain skills, it does not excite me the way that hard and soft edges, color harmonies, or varied brushwork and movement does. I am more interested in taking elements of what is there and transforming them into my personal statement. I invite my viewer to come along with me on my creative journey. I hope you enjoy my paintings and drawings. Thank you for visiting!
Why I Paint
I have always had the inner need to express myself artistically. I am a very visual person so if I am not painting, or doing figure drawing, I am planting flowers, redecorating a space or painting the room an interesting color. I love getting lost in whatever project I am working on. Sometimes I have a clear vision or idea at the onset, yet other times, I just start a project, see where it takes me and enjoy the surprises along the way. It is also important for me to feel connected to the Art Community around me. So, I am involved in local and national art organizations. Artists feed off the energy of other artists and that’s a fun thing to me.
What Inspires Me
Going to the museums, especially the Barnes, the Philadelphia Museum of Art, the Brandywine River Museum and Delaware Art Museum is always exciting --no matter how many times I’ve been there. Going to gallery show openings and talking to other artists about their process, use of the medium, line or brushwork inspires me to, from time to time, try doing things another way. Seeing what’s in the newest "The Artist's Magazine", "PleinAir Magazine", "Pastel Journal is exciting and inspiring. Looking through my art books and rediscovering a plate of a painting I love and had forgotten rekindles the excitement and reminds me of the direction I want to go with my work. I find a lot of inspiration in nature: the clouds that are always changing; the movement of water; the reflections of light on water; the vivid colors of the trees at certain times of the year and colors of the sky at certain times of the day, snow covering the fields. Sometimes the simple placement of objects on a table, can inspire a more simplified statement.
About the Artist
Mary Lou Griffin grew up in New Haven, Connecticut where she received her BA and MA degrees in Industrial and Organizational Psychology. Oil painting and figure drawing have been a lifelong passion. She studied figure drawing and painting under local Connecticut artists and exhibited her work in area shows at Erector Square, Creative Arts Center of New Haven, and Milford Public Library. In 1996, Mary Lou relocated to the Brandywine Valley area and continued her passion for painting. She began to explore the use of pastel, acrylic, and varied paint applications. Since her move to the area, she has also begun to paint en plein air. She paints local pastoral scenes and still life. She has painted the California hillside, the Maine coastline, the canals of Delft and Bruges, medieval towns of Tuscany, as well as the color and zest of the French countryside. Mary Lou exhibits in solo and group shows and has received local, regional and national recognition for her work. Her paintings hang in corporate and private collections across the U.S. Mary Lou is an exhibiting member of the Delaware Foundation for the Visual Arts. an exhibiting member of the Delaware Valley Art League .(DVAL), an exhibiting member of the Chester County Arts Association(CCAA), a member of the Philadelphia Watercolor Society(PWCS) and a member of the Pastel Society of America(PSA). She is the President of the Diamond State Branch and is the artchair of the National League of American Pen Women(NLAPW) which is the oldest national organization for women in the arts-since 1896.