Written by Maria Hammon
Mary Ann Wakeley is a painter of amazing and vibrant abstracts. Many of her gorgeous pieces can be admired in her Flickr page and purchased at her Etsy shop. She is currently exhibiting her work at Artoteque. She has been featured recently in the Humana Maelstrom Zine and at the Resurrection Fern blog. We are very happy to have her now as one of our feature interviews!
Q: We all begin somewhere, surrounded by a supportive group of people who make us break barriers of fear and go towards the accomplishment of our dreams. What is your story? At what point in your life did you realize you wanted to be a painter/artist?
A: In my mind and heart, even as a child, I knew I was an artist. It was really a matter of letting the need to express myself come through strongly enough to recognize it and let it happen. Growing up I was most content when I was off doing my own thing creatively. When I wasn’t making something I was engaged in physical activities with my siblings or friends, or helping my mom with taking care of younger siblings as I am the first of six. I am still like this. When not painting I love to exert myself physically through running, walking or jumping on my mini-trampoline. It helps my state of mind and keeps the cobwebs out so I can enjoy painting. And somehow I manage to work a minimal amount of domestic activity into the routine.
The urge to be a full time painter struck full force after I turned 40 and had just gone through what was at the time a very sad event. But I came through it and art revealed itself to me as something I needed to pursue. In fact it seemed as though it was sitting there like a good friend just waiting for my attention. I have since committed myself to it like a person commits to caring for a family member. I have been supported very strongly by my family, friends and other artists from around the world.
Q: Where does your inspiration typically come from?
A: Right now it’s music. I listen to all kinds from R&B to rock to French rap and certain sounds and beats set me off in a direction for painting. I feel less visually inspired these days than audio-inspired. I have been translating sound vibrations into paintings. Because I am so influenced by the weather and the seasons, music is a tonic for me. I only listen to what contributes to a positive state of mind. This is all translated into painting whether it is through the color, the strokes or both. I enjoy looking at art, but I do less of it these days than I used to. I prefer not be influenced by what everybody else is doing so I don’t read art magazines any more. I do enjoy looking at art in mediums I don’t work with…. certain elements that I like may find their way into my work, but never in a copied form. It’s the transforming of an element in my way that I enjoy when I work. I like trusting what’s in me to come out and the pleasant surprises I can show myself.
Another aspect of inspiration is my interest in interior design and living environments. I have a thing for visual order and eccentric spaces, so I do get inspired by seeing how creative people live. I am interested in the organization of forms in space whether two dimensional or three dimensional, so I see it as all connected. It may not be a direct influence on what I do in my work, but it does inspire me.
Q: How and how often do you create art? Is there a particular time of the day when you feel the most inspired?
A: I paint every day, seven days a week, barring outside events that take me out of my work environment. I work in my home, in what was formerly my dining room and this works for me just fine for now. I have never wanted to leave home for a studio somewhere else. I like the spontaneity of being able to roll out of bed to paint if I choose too. I don’t have a best time of day to paint although I usually feel most energized in the afternoon… morning feels like warm up and then I hit my stride early to late afternoon. I sometimes get a strong urge to paint late at night, but indoor lighting visually alters what I am doing so much that the next day the work doesn’t look the same. I haven’t purchased the right lighting to be able to work at night yet.
Q: What artists have inspired you to become an artist yourself?
A: Very early on—when I first took classes in interior design late 80s—I was very inspired by Georgia O’Keefe. It wasn’t so much her painting but her life story that intrigued me. This interest in art and the life that inspires it still fascinates me. When I look at an artist’s work, I must learn about their life and understand how it all connects. I am drawn toward strong-willed, persistent, pioneering individuals who are not afraid to do their own thing despite outside circumstances.
Artists whose work and/or life have continued to inspire me are: Louise Bourgeois, Howard Hodgkin, Robert Rauschenberg, Alice Neel, Joan Mitchell, Joan Snyder, Hans Hoffman, Gwen John, Willem deKooning, Jackson Pollock, and Louise Nevelson. I am a big fan of Klimt, Hundertwasser, Lucien Freud, Elizabeth Peyton, and many more who work in a variety of mediums.
Q: Can you share your most rewarding experience as a painter?
A: I can’t say there has been a single rewarding experience. I am grateful daily for the little things. If someone sends me an email saying I inspired them in some way, it is hugely rewarding. When a painting sells and someone writes to tell how happy they are with it, it is rewarding. When the gallery in Paris expressed an interest in representing my work, it was very rewarding. Being asked to be interviewed for a blog like yours is a treat! Each moment is treasured.
As a woman artist, what has been the biggest obstacle that you have come across in your career path, and how have you been able to overcome it?
I haven’t experienced any obstacles as a woman artist. I enjoy being a woman and an artist. There are challenges to deal with in every facet of life regardless of what we do or who we are. I feel that we make our choices and life gives us what we ask for consciously and subconsciously. The challenges that I deal with are more generic… like how to best manage my time from moment to moment without letting external things weigh me down. I don’t try to control everything like I might have years ago… just do the best I can and let the rest go. As time goes on, I am learning more about myself in terms of what I need to be truly happy versus what I think I need to be happy in the future. I feel that we need to define our current needs and the let the road rise up to meet us, artists or not. It makes me happy to be doing what I love to do. I enjoy positively influencing others through my work and being supportive as a fellow artist. Having the means to continue on is important so I stay focused on the work and keep my eyes open for ways to get it out there. I am confident and have great faith that as I and my work evolve my needs will be met without limits or obstacles.
Q: Do you have any advice to share with aspiring artists?
A: If you have the desire to express yourself through art, just do it by starting wherever you are. Don’t make excuses for why you can’t do it. Be resourceful and remember you have the answers to how to make it work. You don’t need an art degree or schooling. The important thing is to follow your heart and experiment. When I first started out I looked at a lot of books on art and educated myself about artists I liked. I was automatically attracted to abstract expressionists but also to certain figurative painters so I bought many books and really enjoyed absorbing their work. I am not one to ask people a lot of questions… I tend to figure things out in my own way. But I do research what interests me. The Internet is wonderful so look at artists’ websites and blogs. You will be magically led to what you need. I started out by painting images of things I liked, like nature and family. My abstract work didn’t appear right away. It is essential not to let fear of any kind paralyze you—have confidence in yourself and what you do regardless of your level of experience, and have fun. Stay true to yourself when it comes to how you want to show your work rather than listen to what other people tell you about what you need to do when starting out. As individuals, we have to find the way that is right for us. It is like finding the right way to eat…. we don’t all follow the same eating patterns to be healthy. I am happy to share what I have learned with others and encourage people to contact me with questions or comments on my work.
Q: Are you a natural dreamer? Can you share your biggest dream today?
A: I don’t have a really big dream but yes, I am a natural dreamer. I am less concerned with superficial, material happiness than I am with an abstract feeling of well being. I am learning to feel the happiness of dreams in my present experience by not sweating the small stuff, and reminding myself that all things will pass. I consistently work on not labeling things good or bad because these are relative terms. I focus on positive intentions of peace, happiness, feeling good about myself and others—it is amazing what goodness comes into your life when you can do this on a regular basis. I am eternally optimistic about life and the goodness of others. My biggest dream in this regard is to continue doing what makes me happy, confident that it will have the most positive influence on the world and see what happens.
Q: Where do you see yourself in 10, 20, 30 years from now?
A: I am totally open to what the future will bring. I see myself happy, making art, surrounded by family and friends, much like I am now, and am leaving the unfolding of the details up to the universe.
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