By permission of the artist, The Cyber Art Show is pleased to feature the first of two 12-piece exhibitions of works by American landscape painter Mary Erickson (born 1957 in Westchester, NY).

Mary Erickson grew up sketching the beaches of Long Island Sound and sold her first painting to Gulf+Western Industries in Stamford, Connecticut at 13. She studied at the University of Bridgeport and Sacred Heart University, and initially worked in small business management. Erickson's passion for painting, and a move to Florida in 1986, stirred the desire to pursue art as a career. Finally, she realized a long held dream, and in 1993, Mary began painting professionally.

Preferring to work on location, in the tradition of painters since the French Impressionists, Mary travels extensively. She creates field studies (plein air) then returns to the studio to produce large paintings using the visual knowlege and critical information gathered in the field. Painting tours have taken her to Spain, Guatemala, Argentina, Ireland and throughout the United States. Whether solitary excursions (like scouring the coast of Maine for painting sites with her rescue dog, Maggie) or group efforts with other professionals or students, Mary believes these painting trips are essential to an artist's career and growth. Future trips are planned to Italy, France, Costa Rica, Mexico and New Zealand.

Mary is a founding member of SPAA (Southern Plein Air Artists,) a member of The Group of Eight, and The Florida Four, all Southern-based alliances that are intent on recording the scenery of the rapidly vanishing natural southern landscape. She is a Signature Member of the American Society of Marine Artists (ASMA). In addition to Artists for Conservation and the Society of Animal Artists, memberships include the Oil Painters of America and the American Impressionist Society. Mary has served on the board of Big Brothers / Big Sisters, and as an advisor to several national plein air events. Erickson currently maintains studios in Marshville, NC and Venice, FL. In the summer she rents a large house in Port Clyde, ME and shares the experience with other professional artists. Daily painting excursions and art talks into the night typify the weeks into early September.

Mary's work is collected throughout the United States and Europe. Her largest project to date is the creation of artwork for the WaterStreet Hotel in Apalachicola, Florida. This luxurious waterfront property features Mary's original oil paintings and reproductions in the hotel lobby and each of the suites. Every Mary Erickson print edition includes a special edition of 100 prints used exclusively to raise funds for conservation, preservation, and educational organizations throughout the USA. Limited edition prints and canvas giclees, published by Birds of a Feather Publishing, Inc. are available at over 200 galleries and frame shops in the United States, and at Birds of a Feather and Greenwich Workshop.

Mary is represented by Davis-Moye and Associates of Atlanta. Gallery representation for original paintings include Elder Fine Art in Charlotte, NC; Helena Fox Fine Art in Charleston, SC; Anderson Fine Art in St. Simons Island, GA; The Englishman Art & Antiques in Naples, FL; Palm Avenue Fine Art, Sarasota, FL and Sheldon Fine Art in Naples, FL and Newport, Rhode Island.
 

Mary currently has a solo show hanging at Elder Gallery in Charlotte, NC through October. Many of the new images on the website are in the show.

- Image of the Day -

"Recollections"

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