About the Artist
Art,
is my happy place. The inspiration for the next piece, the creativity
of the art making process, and the sharing my work with others, all
bring me immense joy. I hope that that sense of joy, is conveyed to you
in my work. My hope is to bring more beauty, to whomever my work
touches.
I have been artistically inclined all my life. I have dabbled in many
different mediums, but when I discovered watercolors, I fell in love.
For twenty years, my main medium was watercolors. Then I added
exploring acrylic painting. I love to paint! I love the feel of a
brush in my hand, exploring the feel of the paint on paper or canvas,
and playing with color.
For the past three years, I have been drawn to printing, lino cut printing in
particular. The process begins with a drawing. Once you have your
drawing perfected, you transfer that to a block of linoleum or soft
rubber, and then you carve into the block with various size gouges,
creating your design. Printing ink is then rolled onto the raised
surfaces of the block, paper is laid on top, and then pressure is put on
the back of the paper by hand or in a press, and when the paper is
lifted, you have your print. It's fascinating. Each print comes out
slightly different due to the handmade nature of the artwork.
What
inspires me the most is my love of animals, my cats in particular. The
cat prints all begin with a photo of one of my cats. I have two
cats, Hobbs and Oreo. They bring the greatest joy into my life
everyday. My other inspiration would be nature and flowers.
I have worked as a gallery manager, framer, and graphic designer. But by
far, what brings me the most joy and satisfaction is creating beautiful
artworks, that inspire and bring joy to others lives.
And I love to share my work. I have displayed and sold my watercolors
and prints both locally and nationally for many, many years now.
These are some of my past gallery affiliations:
-Gallery Dog, Eureka, CA
-Art Source L.A. Inc., Rockville, MD
-The Art Collector, San Diego, CA
-The Art Resource Inc., Silver Spring, MD
-Dolby Chadwick Gallery, San Francisco, CA
-Administrative Arts, Inc., Orlando, FL
-EDL & Associates, Atlanta, GA
Currently, I am a self-representing artist. My artwork is in private
and corporate collections throughout the United States, and
internationally.
Thank you for your interest in my work. If you have any questions,
please do not hesitate to contact me here or at MaryAnn@
MaryAnnTestagrossa.com.