Mary C. Gardner Watercolors

Artist’s Statement:

“My paintings are strongly influenced by my love of photography and the way a photograph represents just a moment in time. I enjoy capturing an image of something I’ve recognized as beautiful or unique and it is often the flaws of my subject that I find most interesting. I typically paint my subject in a realistic style with the background elements depicted as abstract representations of my it’s surroundings: just impressions of shape, color, texture, and mood. I want this contrast to add visual drama to my paintings. As an idea is transferred from my mind’s eye to the paper, I go through a roller coaster ride of emotions, arriving back at a place of peace. Upon completing a painting, I find satisfaction in reaching my goal of capturing a feeling associated with a memory, thus giving it permanence for me. I have so many happy childhood memories of the beaches on the Texas coast, and as a result, I especially enjoy painting birds and water. Much of my early work was done with pastels, and to switch to watercolor requires a spontaneous attitude that is difficult for a perfectionist to master. My biggest challenge is knowing when a painting is finished. I want my colors to be vivid; watercolor does not have to be pale and muted. I love color and contrast.”

Mary Catherine Gardner has loved to draw and paint since early childhood. She grew up surrounded by her grandmother’s oil paintings and the drawings and paintings of family friends. However, it was not until she entered Austin College in Sherman, Texas, that she began to see art as possibly her life’s work. In 1987 she transferred to the University of Texas at Austin to study graphic design and advertising photography.  She received her Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in 1989. She began Apple-Gardner Design, her own graphic design business, in 1991. She and her husband Scott moved back to Austin in 1995, where she has continued to work in the design field. Some of her logos, ads, and brochures have been distributed world wide as well as in the Austin marketplace.

In 2003, the focus of her business shifted. She began to do what she had always wanted to do: just paint!  She took her first watercolor instruction in Corpus Christi with the watercolorist Jo Schwend, and has continued to study and experiment with the medium. Mary Catherine has participated in a number of exhibits and shows in Austin, Corpus Christi, Rockport, and Port Aransas, Texas. She has donated her artwork and graphic design to numerous charities and conservation efforts in Texas and finds great satisfaction when her talents benefit others.

In 2009, Mary Catherine was named the official Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Days artist. 2010 brought several honors her way - Mary Catherine was named the official 2010 / 2011 Texas Ducks Unlimited sponsor artist, the official 2011 artist for the San Antonio Assistance League Fiesta Gala, and the official artist for the 12th Annual Earth Day - Bay Day sponsored by the Coastal Bend Bays Foundation.