Mary Silverwood grew up in Ft. Worth, Texas and graduated with a BFA and MFA degrees in Studio Art from the University of Texas. Since 1965, she has taught in public and private schools and traveled extensively in Europe, Mexico and Central America.
Silverwood says of her work, “I have always been acutely aware of the environment in which I live and work. In my paintings, I deal with the earth, sky and water. Color and shape are my tools. Landscape is usually a struggle because of the quality of vastness and the marvel of light. So that is my challenge. I plan my work very carefully with small drawings in pencil and oil pastels. Then I approach a larger summation and delight in the unexpected in execution. I feel a sense of integrity when my work is related to my environment.”
Silverwood works in pastels, using black rag paper on which she masterfully blends broad fields of rich color with rendering lines that give her pieces extraordinary energy. Silverwood began painting at the age of 16, she sees most of the events of her life simply as interruptions to her need to put color on paper. She is a studio artist, first using a camera to capture her images. She returns to her studio to transform and compose the photos into images of brilliant color and composition.
Until recently Mary lived in Monte Rio, a small community in Sonoma County, California. But, in August of 2000 she moved closer to the landscapes she paints; she now lives in Belen, New Mexico. Return to Art Collection.
