Painting by Mary Parkerson

By Tibby Lerner
Special to the Herald

HQ Gallery is proud to announce artist and art teacher Mary Parkerson as its newest member. Several of her pieces are on display in the HQ Gallery right now, at 333 First St., and there will be many more available during the “Frame it Your Way” sale in the gallery on Saturday, Aug. 25 from noon to 6 p.m.

Meeting with the artist at the HQ Gallery for an interview, I could feel her passion for art, her understanding of the formal principles of fine art and most of all her ability to meld with the feeling of a piece. I was struck by her lively interest in getting to know the other artists and their work. Her extensive formal art training is evidenced by her ability to analyze the composition of a painting or photograph yet she also tunes in to the intention and emotion of a piece.

“I love showing  people the beauty in ordinary things” says the artist and art teacher, “there is often hidden beauty that needs to be revealed.”

Her process of painting is organic, sometimes starting with drips of paint and then seeing what emerges. “I become immersed in my work. When I paint still life or landscapes, I absorb the essence of the scene or object and then express it.”

Parkerson is a versatile artist, painting abstracts, landscapes and still life.

Parkerson has been engaged in creating art since her childhood, when her mother and her aunt taught art classes in their home in New Orleans. At sixteen, she started teaching her own classes to kids, doing arts and crafts projects. She was also involved in creating theater as a teen, directing,  and designing sets and costumes.

After taking formal art classes at several local colleges, Parkerson also received her teaching degree and began teaching adults. She created a class where each student went home with a finished painting that they could be proud of. *   “The students were so appreciative, it was really gratifying for me,” she said.

Parkerson recently returned to Benicia after living in Carmel for several years, where she was involved in the Carmel Valley Art Association and many art events. Before she left Benicia, she had her own gallery here for a year.

She is now accepting students for private instruction. Information about classes is available on her website maryparkerson.com.

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