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Art Studio: Mary Ellen Rand
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• Artist: Mary Ellen Rand
• Medium: Oil painting
• Painting Style: Impressionistic realism with strong color emphasis
• Subjects: Natural objects, settings and people
• Professional Affiliations: Artists by the Sea, an alliance of five Naples area artists
• Upcoming Exhibitions: Gaia House Gallery Sautee, Georgia, July 2008
• Where to view work: At the artist’s North Naples home studio by appointment
• Contact: 239-514-3763 or e-mail at maryerand@comcast.net
• Artist statement: “Through color and light, I try to express the inspiration that comes from my environment. The experience of painting is like an exploration and a meditation. When I closely examine things that have a certain degree of complexity, I see so much about the world around me.
“A painting is like a window. When I begin a work, I get outside of myself and learn about life as I paint what I see. It’s my desire that the observer will have a similar experience when viewing my work.”
• Background: Mary Ellen Rand studied art at Georgia State University and earned a Bachelor of Arts in 1976. Feeling ill prepared to enter the field, Rand became a mental health counselor.
By 1985, with a desire to express herself creatively, Rand underwent training to become a landscape architect. She eventually opened her own business, Landscape Architectural Services, Inc., in 2000. One of her largest projects to date — for a North Naples golf and lake community — involved complete planning and design for the clubhouse, pool, amenities and golf course.
“I’ve always loved nature and shaping the land gave me an outlet for my creative side. However, while my profession is very concrete and grounding, as I see the pragmatic design, painting is more fluid — you are in another world.”
• Today: Since owning her business, Rand has been able to return to painting. The last few years have been most prolific for the artist, who began showing her work in March.
“My work is evolving. I am pushing to be more concise and immediate in my work, using fewer brush strokes and pure color,” Rand said.
• Future: Finding her art therapeutic, Rand feels that her paintings tell a story, many from moments in her personal life. Plans include writing stories of each painting and then compiling prints and stories together into book form – a sort of autobiography in word and picture.
“I find that so many experiences in life are universal. I want to connect with the viewer and illicit emotion and the deep connection that we all have,” added Rand. “I am now in the planning stages of having my art on public display for the 2008-2009 season. I am looking at locations such as Unity of Bonita Springs, Naples Beach Hotel, Delnor Wiggins Pavilion and the Naples Library.”
The artist gladly accepts portrait commissions.
Contact Jean Amodea at jean@entertainmentdirect.org if you would like to be featured in Art Studio.
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