Artist Mary Farmer

Mary Farmer - Artist Statement

“When art is in your soul, you simply cannot breathe unless you are painting.”

Mary Farmer‘s every breath reflects that of an accomplished, seasoned artist. Following in the footsteps of such renowned painters as Jasper Johns, she chose the unique medium of encaustic painting to express herself artistically to the world. Her pieces explore a wide range of content, possibilities and personal history. Using one of the most innovative methods of painting, Farmer melts beeswax and colored pigments into liquid/paste and then applies the
hot mixture to a white panel. She labors through hours of sculpting and layering to build vibrant images into masterful works of art.

Farmer notes, “I have worked closely with other encaustic painters and we see ourselves as the Alchemists of the 21st century. We discover, experiment with, combine and test new methods with our work almost daily.”

Unique to other artists that employ the encaustic method, Farmer often uses watercolor paints in her process. This unconventional technique provides a beautiful, dreamy “under painting” for her layering effects. She will also occasionally mix her own pigments and incorporate handmade paper in the first layers of her paintings. Farmer is known as somewhat of a safety expert and she lectures to both novice and experienced encaustic artists on various aspects of the technique including the careful handling of hazardous materials in one’s studio.

Farmer’s raw talent combined with her continuing dedication to creating new and impressive works is reflected in her rising status in the encaustic community. Her work has been featured in such notable publications as: American Art Collector, Novato Advance and the Marin Independent Journal. Farmer constantly strives to grow as an artist, seeing new images in her mind that she deems can transfer wellare transferable to her canvas.

Farmer’s work is included in the collections of MCI World Communications and The Atlanta College of Art amongst other important private collections throughout the country. She has participated in juried exhibitions in Chicago, Atlanta, San Francisco, Indianapolis and Laredo, Texas. Farmer was the proud recipient of the Atlanta College of Art's Presidential Scholarship. She won an award at the 10th International Juried Exhibition at The Laredo Center for the Arts and another at The Postcard Show at Lincoln Center in New York.

Farmer has been featured in countless group shows including the “Encaustic Invitational” in Tucson in 2006. The “Annual Juried Exhibition of Marin Artists” in San Rafael in 2004, the National Juried Exhibition in San Francisco in 2003 and the “Expression Without Limitation,” Open Studio Show in Atlanta in 2000.

“My mind is most at ease when I am actually painting. The preparation of the panels, the application of paint, observing the changes of each piece as I proceed…these are all very, very satisfying,” says Farmer.

Farmer obtained her Bachelor of Fine Arts from Georgia State University after beginning her degree program at the Atlanta College of Art. She has completed several encaustic workshops and certificate programs in New York and San Francisco. She is an affiliate of West Coast Encaustic Artists, an organization that brings local encaustic painters together to share, connect and collaborate on projects. Select members of this group including Farmer will participate in a 2007 show at the Las Vegas Contemporary Art Center. The group participates in exhibitions attracting a vast number of encaustic art devotees and those unfamiliar with the medium but who are immediately curious about it when they encounter it.

Of extreme importance to the artist, is having an opportunity to give back to her community. Since the 1970’s she has been an advocate of protecting a woman’s right to choose. Farmer opposes virtually every restriction on abortion, including the laws requiring parental consent or notification for underage girls to end their pregnancies. Her belief is driven by a childhood friend’s unfortunate experience with teen pregnancy. Farmer’s mother encouraged her to be
there for the friend during her difficult time and subsequently, throughout her life, she has continued to help women protect themselves – in pre- Roe vs. Wade times and during its passing and even today when the law has experienced threats to be overturned.

Through this personal familiarity with abortion rights, Farmer went on to become one of the first women to open abortion clinics in Birmingham, Alabama and southern Jackson, Mississippi. She later helped write clinic regulation laws, thus revolutionizing every woman’s right to choose. Farmer and her husband have willed their estate to benefit Planned Parenthood.

Mary Farmer lives in San Rafael, California and has a studio dedicated to support a constant flow of her creative juices. She travels often to new and exotic places and has a particular affinity for New York and New Zealand. She will attended the Havana Biennale in March 2006, and has plans to travel to Italy this summer to ramble through galleries and museums taking in as much art as possible before embarking on a hiking trip through Umbria.

For additional information, or to schedule an interview with Mary Farmer, please call Amy Levy Public Relations at 310-444-5250.

Visit Mary Farmer on the web at: www.maryfarmer.com

Resume

Art Exhibitions

Selected Solo Shows:



	Mary Farmer - Artist Statement “When art is in your soul, you simply cannot breathe unless you are painting.” Mary Farmer‘s every breath reflects that of an accomplished, seasoned artist. Following in the footsteps of such renowned painters as Jasper Johns, she chose the unique medium of encaustic painting to express herself artistically to the world. Her pieces explore a wide range of content, possibilities and personal history. Using one of the most innovative methods of painting, Farmer melts beeswax and colored pigments into liquid/paste and then applies the hot mixture to a white panel. She labors through hours of sculpting and layering to build vibrant images into masterful works of art. Farmer notes, “I have worked closely with other encaustic painters and we see ourselves as the Alchemists of the 21st century. We discover, experiment with, combine and test new methods with our work almost daily.” Unique to other artists that employ the encaustic method, Farmer often uses watercolor paints in her process. This unconventional technique provides a beautiful, dreamy “under painting” for her layering effects. She will also occasionally mix her own pigments and incorporate handmade paper in the first layers of her paintings. Farmer is known as somewhat of a safety expert and she lectures to both novice and experienced encaustic artists on various aspects of the technique including the careful handling of hazardous materials in one’s studio. Farmer’s raw talent combined with her continuing dedication to creating new and impressive works is reflected in her rising status in the encaustic community. Her work has been featured in such notable publications as: American Art Collector, Novato Advance and the Marin Independent Journal. Farmer constantly strives to grow as an artist, seeing new images in her mind that she deems can transfer wellare transferable to her canvas. Farmer’s work is included in the collections of MCI World Communications and The Atlanta College of Art amongst other important private collections throughout the country. She has participated in juried exhibitions in Chicago, Atlanta, San Francisco, Indianapolis and Laredo, Texas. Farmer was the proud recipient of the Atlanta College of Art's Presidential Scholarship. She won an award at the 10th International Juried Exhibition at The Laredo Center for the Arts and another at The Postcard Show at Lincoln Center in New York. Farmer has been featured in countless group shows including the “Encaustic Invitational” in Tucson in 2006. The “Annual Juried Exhibition of Marin Artists” in San Rafael in 2004, the National Juried Exhibition in San Francisco in 2003 and the “Expression Without Limitation,” Open Studio Show in Atlanta in 2000. “My mind is most at ease when I am actually painting. The preparation of the panels, the application of paint, observing the changes of each piece as I proceed…these are all very, very satisfying,” says Farmer. Farmer obtained her Bachelor of Fine Arts from Georgia State University after beginning her degree program at the Atlanta College of Art. She has completed several encaustic workshops and certificate programs in New York and San Francisco. She is an affiliate of West Coast Encaustic Artists, an organization that brings local encaustic painters together to share, connect and collaborate on projects. Select members of this group including Farmer will participate in a 2007 show at the Las Vegas Contemporary Art Center. The group participates in exhibitions attracting a vast number of encaustic art devotees and those unfamiliar with the medium but who are immediately curious about it when they encounter it. Of extreme importance to the artist, is having an opportunity to give back to her community. Since the 1970’s she has been an advocate of protecting a woman’s right to choose. Farmer opposes virtually every restriction on abortion, including the laws requiring parental consent or notification for underage girls to end their pregnancies. Her belief is driven by a childhood friend’s unfortunate experience with teen pregnancy. Farmer’s mother encouraged her to be there for the friend during her difficult time and subsequently, throughout her life, she has continued to help women protect themselves – in pre- Roe vs. Wade times and during its passing and even today when the law has experienced threats to be overturned. Through this personal familiarity with abortion rights, Farmer went on to become one of the first women to open abortion clinics in Birmingham, Alabama and southern Jackson, Mississippi. She later helped write clinic regulation laws, thus revolutionizing every woman’s right to choose. Farmer and her husband have willed their estate to benefit Planned Parenthood. Mary Farmer lives in San Rafael, California and has a studio dedicated to support a constant flow of her creative juices. She travels often to new and exotic places and has a particular affinity for New York and New Zealand. She will attended the Havana Biennale in March 2006, and has plans to travel to Italy this summer to ramble through galleries and museums taking in as much art as possible before embarking on a hiking trip through Umbria. For additional information, or to schedule an interview with Mary Farmer, please call Amy Levy Public Relations at 310-444-5250. Visit Mary Farmer on the web at: www.maryfarmer.com Resume Art Exhibitions Selected Solo Shows: 2005 Solo Show, Artifax, Fairfax, CA 2004 Solo Show, Marin Civic Center Gallery, San Rafael, CA 2004 Coastal Rhapsody, Thomson Hall Gallery, Sausalito, CA Selected Group Shows: 2007 Textures, Las Vegas Contemporary Art Center, Las Vegas, NV, March-May. Group Encaustic (9 West Coast Encaustic Artists) show. 2006 Absolutely Abstract , Juror: Robert Green, Robert Green Gallery, Artisans Gallery, San Rafael, CA 2006 A Matter of Scale , ALNC, Novato, CA 2006 Encaustic Invitational, Conrad Wilde Gallery, Tucson AZ 2006 Hot Wax, STUDIO Gallery, San Francisco, CA 2005 + or - one foot of art, Art Pic Modern and Contemporary, North Hollywood, CA 2005 Oil + Wax/Chapter & Verse, Art League of Northern California Gallery, Novato, CA 2005 Group Show, City Art, San Francisco, CA 2005 20th Anniversary Show, Art Concepts, Walnut Creek 2005 Group Show, City Art, San Francisco, CA 2005 Moving Toward Light, Claudia Chapline Gallery, Stinson Beach, CA 2004 Anything Goes, Group Show, IVA Gallery, Novato, CA 2004 Annual Juried Exhibition of Marin Artists, Juror: Robbin Henderson, Director, Berkeley Art Center, Falkirk Center San Rafael, CA 2004 Contemporary Abstracts, Jurors: Claudia Marseille, Danielle Shelley, Artistans Gallery, Mill Valley, CA 2003 Whole Ball of Wax, Juror: Joanne Mattera, WomanMade Gallery, Chicago, IL 2003 National Juried Exhibition, Juror: Marian Parmenter, Director SFMOMA Artists, San Francisco, Artisans, Mill Valley CA 2002 10th Annual International Juried Exhibition, Juror: Juergen Strunck, Laredo Center for the Arts, Laredo TX 2002 National Juried Exhibition, Juror: John Killacky, Executive Director, Yerba Buena Center for the Arts, San Francisco, Artisans, Mill Valley CA 2002 Group Show, Art Maverick Studios, Tucker GA 2002 The Post Card Show: “Wish You Were Here”, The Cork Gallery, Lincoln Center, New York NY 2002 Small Works, New Arts Program Space, Kutztown PA 2001 Drawing Exhibition, Youngblood Gallery, Atlanta GA 2001 Out of Water, Lowrey Gallery, Athens GA 2001 Selfsame, Gallery 100, Atlanta GA 2001 Juried Exhibition, Juror: Ron Platt, Weatherspoon Gallery, University of North Carolina, ACA Gallery, Atlanta GA 2000 Expression Without Limitation, Open Studio Show, Atlanta GA 2000 Return, Autrey Mill Nature Preserve, Alpharetta GA 2000 Water, Woodruff Arts Center, Atlanta GA, Gulf Port Junior College, Gulf Port MS 2000 Parkview, McFee Gallery of Art, Indianapolis IN 2000 Osmosis, Gal lery 100, Atlanta GA 1999 Stove Works Show, Atlanta Stove Works, Atlanta GA Publications Novato Advance, November 9, 2005 American Art Collector, Volume 2, Book 1, 2005, Berkeley, CA Pacific Sun, October 14-20,2005 Marin Independent Journal, October 7, 2005 Pacific Sun, April 22-28, 2005 Marin Independent Journal, June, 2004 Athens Daily News, April 5, 2001 Collections Atlanta Gas Light Dowling, Langley & Associates MCI-WorldCom-Atlanta Atlanta College of Art, Artist’s Book Collection Private Collections Awards 2002 Prize awarded: Postcard Show, Lincoln Center, NY 2002 Prize awarded: 10th International Juried Exhibition, The Laredo Center for the Arts, Laredo, TX 2001 Presidential Scholarship, Atlanta College of Art Education 2004 Encaustic Workshop, San Francisco, CA 2003 Bachelor of Fine Art, Georgia State University, Cum Laude 1999 Encaustic Workshop, Kingston New York 2001 Atlanta College of Art 1986 Bachelor of Science, Auburn University at Montgomery





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