Mary Padgett - painter

Artist Statement

Pastel is an ideal medium to capture the unique textures, shapes, and colors of my subjects. Color experience is always a significant characteristic of my paintings. My goal is to capture specific qualities of my subject and then communicate them to the viewer. In the studio I've been working on a series of square-format and rectangular paintings using flowers, fruits, and vegetables as subjects. They are explorations into concept, composition, abstraction versus realism, and color experience.

My landscapes are done from observation on site, en plein air. Working plein air is one of my most satisfying experiences. It's a luxury to be able to focus on a subject for an extended period, looking but also listening and smelling. This immersion brings a deep understanding of a place, not only of its visual uniqueness but also of its history, culture, and our shared humanity. This experience is profound. I become part of the place, responding to it with my mind and my intuition as I record what is around me. My response to the place produces the artwork. The painting is the record of my engagement with that place.

Recently I've been making many mosaics. It is a medium that has always intrigued me. I was fortunate several years ago to be able to study various traditional mosaic techniques in Italy. In the past few months my compositions have been abstract designs based on the colors and patterns of my materials at hand - glass, ceramic, and marble.

You can see more of Mary's work by visiting her website www.marypadgett.com.

©2025 Mary Padgett. All rights reserved. Duplication is not allowed without permission.