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Mary Mathias - A Biography from the Artist
Mary Mathias began studying painting in Florence, Italy, through a study abroad program at the age of nineteen. She received her BFA degree from Bowling Green State University in 1999. She was then offered the opportunity to expand her knowledge in painting by working as a full-time assistant to internationally known painter, Patrick Betaudier in Monflaquin,France. There, in the quiet hilltop village, she immersed herself in the study of color, art history, and Renaissance painting techniques. She began working in a method called the “technique mixte”, in which each painting receives hundreds of layers of paint—first reflective white and dark pigments, then transparent color glazes. The result of this arduous but rewarding method is paintings with a rich inner glow and brilliant colors that, as demonstrated by the paintings of the Renaissance masters, will last over six hundred years. Patience and discipline are key factors and creating paintings of this caliber; working up to six months on one or two paintings is not unusual. |
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Mathias' paintings express her strong affinity with nature and her genuine love for human beings. Whether she is painting from models or memories, she uses the subtleties of nature and expression to narrate the struggles and joys of her subjects. Her work often holds an almost spiritual quality. Her passionate observation of light, shadow, and human experience, together with her extensive painting skills, enable her to capture the individuality of her subjects and to create paintings that express strong and vital emotions. Her mentor, Patrick Betaudier, calls her work “figurative realism with soul .” At Bradley University, Mathias received the Caterpillar Masters Fellowship, the university's most prestigious and competitive award (which included full tuition and a living stipend) to pursue her MFA degree in Painting and Drawing, which she completed in May 2005. During graduate school she continued working in the Renaissance technique and developed new personal painting methods; in addition, she made room-size experiential installation pieces which actively engaged and included the viewers. |
Currently, Mary Mathias teaches in Arizona. Her award winning work has been exhibited in galleries and museums at local, national and international levels. She has conducted painting workshops and demonstrations in the U.S., and abroad in Mexico and France.