Texture is something that has always fascinated me, and I find that natural textiles - like linen, cotton, silk organza, and even cheesecloth - create incredibly compelling artworks when layered and stitched with thread. Combining these simple materials with paint and dye, I can play with the effects of transparency, line, luminosity and opacity to create an endless array of imagery.
Subject matter is another important part of my process. I might be drawn to a weathered face for the unspoken story behind their fascinating facial lines or to a public figure I admire. And occasionally my subjects are the four-legged or winged variety because the texture in their coats and feathers is irresistible.
Download Mary’s full CV here.
News and updates
I have been invited to participate in a special fibre art event organized by C&T Publishing, Layered + Stitched 2025, a virtual art quilt experience focused on pictorial quilts, on September 12th. The event features a keynote by David M. Taylor, along with workshops by various artists specializing in image-based techniques like appliqué and thread painting. Participants can watch live or access recordings later, with registration by September 12th also granting access to digital swag and prize entries.
My presentation will be on portraiture and how fibre artists can utilize value to create impressive portraits, including details on how I made many of my iconic portraits. C&T has provided my followers a $20 discount, if you use this code when you register:
https://ctpub.com/discount/Mary?ref=MARYBPAL
Hope to see some of you there!
In other news, my most recent work, “Emily,” was exhibited - and sold - at the Current Threads 2025 exhibition in the Cowichan Community Centre Gallery, Duncan, BC, which ran June 5-July 3.
Teaching
I have been busy settling into my new home in Victoria, and have now completed all my teaching commitments for 2025, so never say never, but I may have just taught my last workshop and am fully embracing the concept of retirement, where I can enjoy my time creating art and spending time with my adult children and grandkids.
Lecture
On-Demand Workshops
Process
My early works were portraits, not only because facial expressions hold endless fascination for me, but because cheesecloth can be sculpted to portray the impact of light and shadow and overlaid on painted textiles with dramatic results. And then over time, I discovered that many other subjects also lend themselves to an interpretation with these textiles to create artworks filled with texture.
Creating art with such a delicate medium does take time - it takes about a month to complete one, from initial sketch through decisions about composition, sculpting, painting, stitching - but I find the process very contemplative and enjoyable. Often while working, I listen to audiobooks about, or read by, the subject I am sculpting, which makes the process all the more intimate.