Still life and figurative paintings in pastel and oil
"When looking at Mary Aslin's beautifully rendered (art), there is a sense of time standing still. Her technique, vision, and use of colored pigments appear to not belong to a particular era, but transcend time. Her work is classic rather than contemporary, except that they are created by a 21 st Century artist...." Roberta Carasso, Ph.D., writer, teacher, and curator of the forthcoming "Bay Area Figurative Artists Through the Generations," Bakersfield Museum of Art, March - May 2012
Beautiful design is the underpinning of Mary's work where representation emerges from abstraction. The final refinements and seemingly delicate touch of her paintings belie their creation, where a necessary plunge into chaos eventually manifests itself as order, an order seeking to root itself in the Grand Design. Mary is along for the ride, where creative fire and adrenalin, a healthy dose of anxiety, and the wonder of discovery ignite and fuel the journey she feels privileged to take.
Mary was born in Salt Lake City, Utah. After receiving a Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of Washington in Seattle, she worked as a cartographer, eventually returning to her first love of representational painting, completing private and public commission paintings. In the following years, she continued to refine her skills, studying with renowned artists, and at the Gage Academy of Art in Seattle and at the Watts Atelier in Encinitas, CA. She has received numerous awards for her paintings and her collectors have summarized the experience that many have viewing her art: "Light, so much light...and drama with tranquility".
Resume Highlights
Recent Exhibitions
2012, 2011, 2010 and 2009, Festival of Arts, Laguna Beach, CA
Recent Awards
Two Honorable Mentions, Figurative, Pastel 100, The Pastel Journal 2013
2nd Place, Richeson 75 Pastels, 2012
2nd Place, Still life, Pastel 1oo, The Pastel Journal 2012
Honorable Mention, International Association of Pastel Societies, 2011 Web Show
Honorable Mention, Still Life, Pastel 100, The Pastel Journal 2011
Honorable Mention, International Association of Pastel Societies, 2010 Web Show
Top 15% Bold Brush Competition, August 2010, July 2010
Finalist and Top 15% Bold Brush Competition, September 2009
Award of Merit, Southern California Plein Air Painters Members Show, April 2009, San Juan Capistrano, CA
Finalist, Pastels Plus, Southern California Artists Association, May 2009, Laguna Beach, CA
Finalist, Richeson 75 International, Pastels, February 2009, Kimberly, WI
Best of Show, United Society of Pastel Artists (USPA) Members Exhibition, November 2008, Laguna Beach, CA
1st Place, Landscape, 2nd Place, Figure, USPA Members Exhibition, November 2007, Laguna Beach, CA
Best Pastel Artist, Art-A-Fair Juried Art Festival, August 2008, Laguna Beach, CA
3rd Place, San Clemente Plein Air Quick Draw Competition, June 2008, San Clemente, CA
5th Place, Still Life, Pastel 100 Competition, The Pastel Journal, 2008
Organizations
Signature Member, Pastel Society of America, Northwest Pastel Society
Member: California Art Club
Representation
Chemers Gallery, Tustin, CA
Joseph Wise Gallery, Laguna Beach, CA
Publications
The Best of Flower Painting, to be published soon
Art Lovers' Cookbook, SRC Publishing, 2010
Education
B.A. with Distinction, 1984, University of Washington, Seattle, WA
Additional Art Studies: Watts Atelier, Gage Academy of Fine Art, Gil Dellinger, Ned Mueller, Kenn Backhaus
