Friday, April 6, 2012

Paint Party Friday: Week 4, Year 2 Check In Featured Artist: Mary C. Nasser

image courtesy of Mary C. Nasser

Welcome to Week 4 of Paint Party Friday (Year 2) and the next of our Featured Artist Series! (Would you like to be a PPF Featured Artist? Click here for details!) This week, we are featuring an artist who creates fascinating mixed-media paintings inspired by nature and lately by the islands of Hawaii.  She has an ambitious goal of creating a painting a week and we are always delighted that she shares those creations regularly at PPF. It is our pleasure to introduce you to Mary C. Nasser!

1) Please tell us a bit about your history with painting. (When did you start painting? How has your painting evolved since you first started?)
I started painting in high school, but my paintings continue to evolve. I think the small thread that has always run through my work is my interest in layers and textures. All of my art is inspired by nature: specifically, landscapes and geology. My love of landscape is revealed in mixed media paintings layered with maps and scientific illustrations. I study physical geology and the interconnectedness between surface and subterranean landscapes: exploring the relationships between developments underground and the evolution of the landscape that takes place on the surface – borrowing images from geological diagrams of land formations to incorporate into my paintings. I am captivated by the idea that geological shifts and transformations seem to parallel both individuals and their relationships: continually changing, varying, shifting and developing, too.

2) What are your favorite techniques, media, and tools to use in creating your paintings?
My favorite techniques are mixed media acrylic painting and encaustics. I also enjoy the technique of drawing onto paintings with micron pens.
As far as media, I love, love, love to use maps in my paintings! It is so much fun to layer maps and paint onto canvas! I sprinkle mica and olivine into my paintings sometimes, too. I also further embellish some paintings by adding text and creating patina word charms.

3) What is your favorite thing to paint? Why?
In 2007, I spent time living and painting in the southwest, examining desert landscapes, where the combination of aridity and erosion exposed the earth’s composition, structure, and layers, the relationships between them, and the deep time they represent. After visiting extinct volcanoes in New Mexico, I longed to see active volcanoes. As a result, I embarked on a residency at Red Cinder Creativity Center in 2008, located between the active and accessible volcanoes Kilauea and Mauna Loa, on the Big Island of Hawaii. Immersed in twelve of the world’s thirteen climate zones, I experienced and studied the various landscapes and dynamic geology of the island. I had the unique opportunities of watching landscape being created and standing on the newest land on earth: landscape created by lava hardening into rock, which, in time, will transform into soil where plants will sprout and grow. Consequently, the dramatic volcanic landscapes continue to inform and influence my work.

4) What is your proudest painting moment and/or greatest painting achievement so far?
One of my proudest art moments was in 2010, when a jury selected my sculpture proposal for Wings in the City – a project to raise funds for the Jennifer and Jim Koman Expressive Therapy Program at Wings, a BJC pediatric hospice and palliative care program. My 5-foot by 4-foot fiberglass butterfly sculpture is entitled Journey and was sponsored by Plaza Mercedes Benz. It is embellished with metallic acrylics and maps, just like my recent paintings. The butterflies were auctioned off May 21, 2011, at Wings in the City's Art Takes Flight auction. The public art project raised $1.3 million dollars for BJC's pediatric hospice program Wings.

image courtesy of Mary C. Nasser

5) What's next in your painting future?
What's in my painting future? I'm painting, painting, painting for forthcoming exhibitions! I continue to experiment with paint and mixed-media and look forward to every Paint Party Friday!

Thank you very much, Mary! We look forward to seeing you every Friday too!
To learn even more about Mary and see more of her art, please visit her at:

Her website is: www.marycnasser.com
Her blog is: http://www.marycnasser.com/blog.html
Twitter: www.twitter.com/marycnasser
Facebook: www.facebook.com/MaryNasserArt
Etsy Shop: http://www.etsy.com/shop/marycnasser

**Would you like to be a PPF Featured Artist? Click here for details!**

And what another hopping party last week! Here is our check-in for this week's party:

Please make sure to use your post URL address NOT your blog home page URL address as there are many late visitors who get confused as to which post is for PPF when they arrive (after Friday) at your website. If you are unfamiliar with Mr. Linky, an explanation of how this tool works can be found on Week 1 and Week 2 Check-Ins.


Have a Happy Easter or Passover (if you celebrate) and  have a great time at the party!

46 comments:

  1. Kristin and Eva,
    Thank you from the bottom of my heart for featuring me this week!
    Paint Party Friday has been such a wonderful source of both motivation and inspiration for me!
    I look forward to it all week! :)
    ♥♥♥
    Mary
    Mixed-Media Map Art

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    1. Beautiful work, Mary! And a wonderful and insightful interview! Happy PPF,

      -Charlie

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  2. Congratulations Mary. Excellent interview. Loved those wings, your work is just awesome. Happy PPF everyone and I do hope everyone has a wonderful Easter Sunday.
    HAPPY EASTER!

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  3. The butterfly sculpture is so beautiful!

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  4. oh how wonderful to read about Mary!!! thank you for hosting and so wonderful to be back!!!

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  5. Happy PPF. That Butterfly sculpture is wonderful. Congrats on that and this article.

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  6. Thanks for sponsoring PPF, Kristin and Eva! Still loving the featured artist piece! Mary LOVE your artwork!! So much inspiration- so little time! Thanks for sharing!

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  7. I appreciate this Kristin and Eva. Mary's art work is incredible! Thank you for allowing her to share this
    work, I am sure she is proud... ♥

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  8. I just wanted to thank the both of you for hosting such an awesome party!! I love the idea of a featured artist. Mary's art work is awesome!!

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  9. So much fun to get the scoop on Mary! :) What a wonderful interview. I'm a big fan of her paintings!
    Catherine Denton

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  10. Love the interview with Mary -thanks for sharing!
    Rinda

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  11. wow Mary has a terrific resume' and look forward to seeing her work each week. Thank you for sharing Kristin and Eva. Happy PPF, Annette x

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  12. I'm Glad to know better Mary. Happy PPF

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  13. Wonderful interview Mary and beautiful butterfly too. I enjoyed reading. :)

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  14. Hi! So glad to be back here this week! Great feature with Mary...it was fun getting to know her better. Thanks Eva and Kristin! Happy PPF!

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  15. Hello, as always great to be back amongst you all here. Mary's work is very interesting, thanks for the interview.

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  16. Great interview, Mary's work is so distinctive and her life to date makes for very interesting reading! I love that butterfly sculpture!

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  17. Awesome interview Mary. It's wonderful to learn more about you!

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  18. Congrats, Mary! You do fab work.
    Happy Easter to all my Paint Party People!

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  19. Happy Easter to all at PPF. Thanks for PPF.

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  20. Wow Mary That butterfly sculpture is fantastic and you helped a great cause raise a lot of money. so generous of you. you must have a big heart. glad to get to know you as an artist and a person a little more here on the PPF artist profile.Happy Spring Happy Easter on Sunday
    Bless you
    - KAT -

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  21. Wow I'm so glad I tuned in this week and didn't miss the interview with Mary! I just ADORE her work! Mary is not only mega talented and has been on fascinating adventures but she also has a heart of gold!!!Way ta go Mary! Happy PPF everyone!Deb

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  22. Hi Mary,

    I throughly enjoyed reading about you as an artist.
    I am always enamored by your work and very much inspired.
    Best of luck in your painting goals!

    Happy Easter to everyone and HPPF.

    Gloria , I posted that little something for you this week.

    Hugs, Annabelle

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  23. You certainly deserve the honor! Interesting that you have always painted geologically.

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  24. How interesting and exciting and inspirational! Those are beautiful wings, Congratulations on your 2010 win! Oh and I love that you studied near active volcanoes and got to watch your landscape change. You're a wonderful artist and I can't wait to see more of your work! Hugs from Miami...Ily aka "Scarlet"

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  25. how wonderful to have your work represent such a great cause...i have really enjoyed mary's work each week..thanks for the great interview!!

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  26. What a great feature, Mary! I loved learning more about you! And that butterfly sculpture is stunning! Happy PPF!!

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  27. I Love Mary's work..and a wonderful feature on her..!
    You are Fabulous Mary..shine on...I love your work and all that you do..thanks for sharing your magic and inspiration!
    Victoria

    Happy PPF everyone..I won't be around much this wkd..but i hope to visit when i can!
    hugs and sparkles
    victoria

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  28. GREAT interview Mary N.! Thank you for sharing all about you. 'Journey' is quite an accomplishment, I am very impressed ... that's a lot of $$$ raised for a very good cause! So glad I found you through PPF. Your work is very unique! Well done! ♥

    and again ... Kristin & Eva ... another awesome week of PPF - Let's Play! Thank YOU!

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  29. Thank you for the great interview Mary N., you are an inspiration! I love your work, it's just awesome! <3
    Happy PPF to everybody!

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  30. Wow Mary!! I LOVE this butterfly!! Thanks for sharing your world with us!! Happy PPF everyone! xo

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  31. Fabulous Fabulous Fabulous!!! I love these interviews... thanks so much! Happy weekend everyone... xoxo!
    Renee
    www.fussitup.blogspot.com

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  32. Great interview, happy creating on this Easter weekend :)

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  33. This is my first time...yeehaw! You all are so talented!!

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  34. The butterfly... wow, amazing!!!

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  35. Great interview - these are fun! Happy PPF!

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  36. Mary's work is gorgeous!!
    I'm so glad to be back to PPF - Happy Easter to everyone!

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  37. I have missed this group over the last few weeks. So glad to be back!

    And I'm loving the artist series you're doing. I loved reading about Mary's travels and her sources of inspiration. What a great interview!

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  38. Just came on line to link my page to yours here. I will come back later in the weekend to read the post today about Mary, and to look at as many blogs as I can.

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  39. Thank you so much for these encouraging comments!
    It means so very much to me!
    Hope you are all having a wonderful weekend,
    Mary

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  40. Really Inspiring interview & an Inspiring person... The butterfly sculpture is really cool, Mary :)
    Hope you all have a great day and Happy Easter...
    Thanks Eva & Kristin for the wonderful PPF!

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  41. I forgot to comment on this great interview! I love Mary's map art. :)

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  42. Hopefully I added my link correctly!! Loved the interview and finally had something (and remembered to do it) to add to PPF.

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