Mary Cameron
was born in Coral Gables, Florida, and has been making art as long as she can remember. She received her BFA in painting from New College, Sarasota, Florida. Her philosophy of art was shaped by studies with nationally known artists Leon Berkowitz and William Pacher. At the Appalachian Center for Crafts she studied silk painting with Mia Kodani.
In 1985 she was a fellow at the Ossabaw Island Foundation's Genesis Project for emerging artists. Mary fell in love with Ossabaw and continued to visit the Georgia Heritage Preserve for 30 years to paint and be inspired by both the island and longtime friend and mentor, Eleanor Torrey West.
Nova Scotia, Canada, where she spent summers painting and collecting folk art, greatly influenced her art. Cameron blends the color, light, and images of the tropics with the boldness and patterning of quilts and naive art to achieve her rich and playful images.
"Cameron's flowers throb with the sap of life, dancing restlessly in jeweled pots, urns and bowls", says Allison Hersh of the Savannah Morning News. Her canvases are often embellished with buttons, beads, and other found objects, forming the decorative borders that have become a trademark of her work.
Her award winning artwork is found in corporate and private collections and is represented by galleries in the United States and Canada. Her collectors include sculptor Jack Dowd, the Honorable Barbara McDougall, Toronto, Canada, Aerosmith's Tom Hamilton, and Bob and Diane Roskamp of Sarasota.
When not in her studio, Mary can be found exploring gardens, beaches, farmers' markets, islands, and lighthouses.
"I would like my pieces to invite the viewer to pause and delight in the natural world around them."
Selected Shows, Residencies, Teaching, and Grants
Ringling College of Art – Englewood Art Center Mangrove Gallery, Englewood, Florida
Serendipity Gallery, Boca Grande, Florida
Ziegenfuss Gallery, Sarasota, Florida
Matsumoto Gallery, Sanibel Island, Florida
L’Attitude Gallery, Anna Maria, Florida and Boston, Massachusetts
Bothwell Gallery - "Earth Patterns", Savannah, Georgia
The Black Duck Gallery, Lunenburg, Nova Scotia, Canada
Spring Show, third prize, Manatee Art League, Bradenton, Florida
The 26th Juried Arvida Show, Honorable Mention, Longboat Key Art Center, Longboat Key, Florida
Festival of States Show, The Arts Center, St. Petersburg, Florida
Middleplace Project, Ossabaw Island Foundation, Ossabaw Island, Georgia
The Bridge Day Treatment Center, art instructor, Sarasota, Florida
Women’s Exchange Grant, Sarasota, Florida. Grant to develop and present an exhibition of insider art at the Van Wezel Performing Arts Hall, Sarasota, Florida
© 2024 Mary Cameron
All Rights Reserved