About the Artist

As a child, I loved to create art. It made me feel happy and energized, and that fascination has remained with me my entire life. There are no rights and wrongs in artwork just a free expression for that moment.

I attended the California College of Arts and Crafts in Oakland, graduating in 1980 and at that time, and for many years after, I primarily painted abstracts using acrylics and mixed media. In the last few years, I’ve also been painting Plein Air. I’ve been excited about painting in a new style of being outside and in nature to paint. Everything changes so quickly out in nature, so you must commit and move on with the painting. It helps me closely observe nature, how the light changes and the shadows come and go.  When I look at the mountains or forests, for instance, I am taking note of the way the landscape makes me feel, and in turn I try to convey that mood or emotion in the painting.

For the last forty years, I have also studied and practiced Asian medicine. That background has influenced my work in that I want to convey moods of peacefulness, of harmony and healing. At the same time, I approach my work with a sense of risk, of openness. Before treating a patient, I need to clear my mind, to go empty in a sense, so that I can bring my full attention to the person before me. In a similar way, I go into this state of mind when I begin a painting.

Mary Ellen Metke