Mary Ternus
People and Places
Exhibit Location: Lecture Hall
Meet the Artist: Thursday, October 9 | 6:00-7:00 pm
From the Artist
“So much held in a heart in a lifetime. So much held in a heart in a day, an hour, a moment.”
— Brian Doyle, from “Joyas Voladoras”
A moment of grace for us. We (all of us) who have lived the love and loss of a child, a parent, a pet, a family, or a friend, know that time with them seems like moments, flashes in memory — a picture, smell, garment, a strand of hair can bring back the time and feeling.
I try to do this in my inadequate way with paint and chalk. Viktor Frankl, in “Man’s Search for Meaning”, lays down the theory of logotherapy: the power of individual purpose which drives us forward through sadness, adversity, and devastating circumstances. Of other beings’ pain we have no idea. A nod to artists with suffering as subject: Goya, Kollwitz, Ginsburg, Caravaggio, I have great admiration for this work. I am not there. With my limitations, I paint and draw people and places as I see them.
Who are the children in my paintings, and why do I paint so many children? These children are no longer the ages they were when I painted them. That time is past. Their expressions are timeless, though, at least I think so. That’s what I’m trying to show.
What is the “Woman Erased” theme? So many brilliant women since the beginning of time have never gotten their due. It is easy to find images of them, much harder to find their accolades, Nobel Prizes, or acknowledgements of any kind. You, my kind visitor, most likely know women whose heroism has gone unsung. If you would like to send me their names and information about them, I welcome new inspiration for this ongoing project.
About the Artist
Mary is a classically-trained artist specializing in portraits, landscapes and still life subjects. She has a BA in Art History from American University in Paris, studied at the École des Beaux-Arts and École des Arts-Decoratifs in Paris, and the École de la Chambre Syndicale de la Couture. She also holds an MA with Distinction in Digital Media from London Metropolitan University.
She is a lifetime member of the Art Students League of New York, She has taught and created artwork in London, New York, Costa Rica, Paris, Munich, San Diego, and now is happy to call Maine home. Her mentors and influences include Sebastian Capella, Max Ginsburg, Susan Lyon, Scott Burdick, and Vladimir Volegov. She passes forward techniques honed by decades of study to students, whether beginners or more advanced.
She works with students in ‘plein air’ settings in our beautiful state, or in controlled studio settings. She accepts painting and drawing commissions in a variety of media, and creates artwork in her studios in Bar Harbor and Belfast, Maine. Mary always welcomes feedback and discussion about her work, and believes art is for everyone.
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