Biography
Drawing upon her classical, alla prima, and plein air training, Mary Pettis’ work stands on the cutting edge of the International Contemporary Realism movement. Mary has won awards in national and international painting events and exhibitions from New York City to Scottsdale and Maui to Barcelona.
In 2017, Mary became the 9th American woman painter to receive the designation ARC Living Master™ (ARCLM™) by the Art Renewal Center. Mary is a Signature Member of the American Impressionist Society (AIS), American Society of Marine Artists (ASMA), and Oil Painters of America (OPA). She is a Board Member for the American Society of Marine Artists and a juror for Art Renewal Center’s 15th and 16th International ARC Salons alongside Fred Ross, B. Eric Rhoads, Dr. Vern Swanson, Joseph McGurl, and Jean Stern.
Her art has taken her to the far corners of the world: China, Russia, and much of Europe. She has exhibited widely, including the United Nations in Geneva, Switzerland, and collectors of her work reach across the globe. Mary is recognized as an eloquent and respected speaker, teacher and mentor, teaching in the Upper Midwest, Tuscany, Venice, France, and Hawaii.
Early in her career, Mary studied with Hungarian painter Bela Petheo; Richard Lack, at Atelier Lack; and Daniel Graves, who later founded The Florence Academy of Art. In the 1990s, Jim Wilcox introduced her to the “wet-in-wet” plein air approach and she moved her studio outdoors. Over the years she continued her studies with various Masters including Daniel Gerhartz, Zhang Wen Xin, Kevin MacPherson, and Jove Wang.
Now she divides her time equally between the studio and outdoors. Her decades of training and the experiences from hundreds of plein air paintings are a catalyst for a symbolic visual language of expression that celebrates the beauty, dignity and worth of this world and its inhabitants.
Mary and her husband Randy live along the St. Croix National Scenic Riverway in Minnesota. Her work, along with information on galleries, exhibitions, and workshops can be found on her website at www.marypettis.com.