Mary Silverwood

Artist Biography

Mary Silverwood grew up in Ft. Worth, Texas and graduated with BFA and MFA degrees in Studio Art from the University of Texas. Since 1965, she has taught in public and private schools and traveled extensively in Europe, Mexico and Central America. Silverwood says of her art, prints and posters, "I have always been acutely aware of the environment in which I live and work. In my paintings, I deal with the earth, sky and water. Color and shape are my tools. Landscape is usually a struggle because of the quality of vastness and the marvel of light. So that is my challenge. I plan my work very carefully with small drawings in pencil and oil pastels. Then I approach a larger summation and delight in the unexpected in execution. I feel a sense of integrity when my work is related to my environment.' Her current environment is rural Sonoma County, California.

Silverwood works in pastels, using black rag paper on which she masterfully blends broad fields of rich color with rendering lines that give her art, prints and posters extraordinary energy. Silverwood challenges the viewer to accept a world where mauve skies, turquoise and flesh hills, maroon trees, and purple and indigo shadows make absolute sense.

Her art, prints and posters have been used on the cover jacket of the audio CD "The Music of American Landscape,” the cover of Sonoma State University's catalogue, and on the jacket of the book "The Elements of Basic Writing.”

Mary Silverwood Art, Prints and Posters Collection