Paintings and Art & Wall Decor by Mary Elizabeth Peterson
Mary Elizabeth Peterson
Mary Elizabeth Peterson

Mary Elizabeth Peterson

CT, CT

"COOL. CALM. very COLLECTED. Art that elevates your space and your mindset."
Mary Elizabeth “M.E.” (Marvin) Peterson is an American abstract artist based in Connecticut and North Carolina. A classically trained painter, Peterson’s practice focuses on creating “Slow Art” – paintings that deliberately draw viewers in to increase well-being or what she calls flourishing. She speaks often about the transformative nature of art. Her work is inspired largely by plant and marine life, water and ecological circumstances.

Peterson has been painting since age nine and is a graduate of The University of Connecticut and The Corcoran College of Art + Design. She is a juried member of the elite Silvermine Art Guild and has received an artist residency grant from The Vermont Studio Center. Her work has been written about widely, has appeared in motion pictures and TV sets and is held in private and corporate collections worldwide. She has a strong exhibit record including prominent US museums and galleries. Select images of ME's art are sold by National retailers.

In 1997 M.E. underwent 11 hours of life-saving brain surgery to correct a rare vascular malformation. In 2017 she had brain surgery to improve the previous repair and suffered a series of life-altering strokes as a surgical complication. She has made a full recovery and returned to making art full time in the Spring of 2018.

Art by Mary Elizabeth Peterson.
COOL | CALM | very COLLECTED.
#coolcalmverycollected
www.maryelizabethpeterson.com
@mepeterson.art
Q&A

What is your favorite material to work with?

"I am most comfortable with a brush in my hand. I draw well but it's not something I love. I love moving paint around!"
-- Mary Elizabeth Peterson
Q&A

What do you want people to do or feel when they encounter your creations?

"Modern day life produces fatigue, stress, and over stimulation. I think we all need to get away from our usual routine and allow ourselves to feel a part of something greater. My art focuses on deliberately drawing you in to improve your mental state and overall well-being. My paintings are like a re-set button."
-- Mary Elizabeth Peterson
Q&A

What motivates and inspires you?

"I’ve probably learned the most from the artist Chuck Close. I keep a copy of a magazine interview he gave in it he said “you have to deal with your fear. The part of you that says, “I can’t do it.” You have to rely on the part of you that says, “well, it doesn’t look that bad.” And you have to keep going even though there are no guarantees. I’ve found a way to work for myself by breaking everything down to the smallest pieces. I just keep working at each little unit of the painting. Today I’ll do what I did yesterday, and tomorrow I’ll do what I did today, the same thing in pieces small enough for me to handle.” I’ve put that philosophy into practice in my art and my daily life. Another thing I learned from Chuck Close is to purge your mind of references to other people. You have to put yourself into the position to be you on the canvas. That’s vitally important."
-- Mary Elizabeth Peterson
Q&A

What makes a space special?

"Being surrounded by the people you love and art and music that entices you to engage in the moment."
-- Mary Elizabeth Peterson
Q&A

What’s unique about your work?

"My art emphasizes balance and serenity in the arrangement of color and form. I try to set up new color-to-color relationships in my work and to innovate by painting with hybrid materials ranging from acrylic, oil crayon, plastics, woven vinyl, construction materials and fabric applied to canvas, boards and paper. I like to use combinations of paint and those material together. I'd say the stranger the materials, the better!"
-- Mary Elizabeth Peterson
Q&A

How do your pieces come to life? Tell us one interesting thing about your creative process?

"I'm very spontaneous. I rarely make studies or drawings but always have a plan in mind. If I did not have such a solid foundation of old world painting skills I don't think I'd have the courage to work so directly into the surface or the confidence to be innovative. I like going in unexpected directions and into the unexplored territories of art."
-- Mary Elizabeth Peterson
Q&A

What funny moments, unexpected surprises, or obstacles have you encountered?

"In 1997, I underwent 11 hours of life-saving brain surgery to correct a rare vascular malformation. Last year I had a brain surgery to improve that earlier repair. Not long after I suffered a series of life-altering strokes as a surgical complication. The good thing is I've made a full recovery and I returned to making art full time in the Spring of 2018."
-- Mary Elizabeth Peterson
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