Artist Statement:
What we discover when we go inward is our poetic response to life. Art connects us to our Source. It connects us with each other, with generations past, and with those who will see our paintings long after we are gone. When I paint, I truly feel the great relations among all things. Every subject becomes a metaphor. I forget to breathe. I will never lose sight of what a joy and privilege it is to be a painter.
–Mary Pettis
Mary Pettis, Expressive Realist and ARC Living Master
Mary is the 9th American woman painter to be named an ARC Living Master™ by the Art Renewal Center.
This distinguished honor is defined, in part, as: "...an artist who has mastered all of the building blocks of great art...creating fully professional works of art, as well as some identifiable masterpieces...has successfully created a body of work which demonstrates accomplished facility in their craft that compares to the masters of prior centuries..."(click HERE to read the full description)
"Mary Pettis is a consummate artist of light and movement. Her work is superb and her observation of light, landscape, objects and people is among the very best today. She imbues her work with a poetic tone that is her own and whether it be in bright sunlight or soft moonlight, her light is true, honest and unmistakable. I love her work and I have awarded her several well-deserved awards over the years."
Jean Stern
Executive Director,
The Irvine Museum, Irvine, CA