About Mary Hetrick Vecchio

“I have always had the desire to draw.”

I have always had the desire to draw. After a divorce and with two incredible daughters, I decided nothing would keep me from creating and discovering alternative ways to express what I needed to convey; mostly for my own curiosity in finding mediums and methods in which to experiment. As has happened after an accumulative amount of work, meaning the more I paint, do assemblages from found objects, eventually the body of work exemplifies what satisfies me.

Every piece is an extension of the following. Searching is the quest. The need to sell is a reality. That in itself is confining. If I do not concentrate on that reality I can work freely. The medium and technique changes a bit with each piece. Mixed media is very exciting and constantly requires my attention to exploration of new materials and their possibilities.

“The magic is in also discovering who we are once we acquire the knowledge to make the most of our materials. ”

I am basically a self taught artist. Having been fortunate to meet other artists has helped immensely in feeling a part of the artist community.

Rather than re-iterate my whole bio, please read it on my John D. Merriam collection page.

Showing in group shows is very supportive for all those involved. In the past I have belonged to various organizations and did exhibit in artists organizations. I suspect people who buy my work would like to see a resume of where I have shown in the past and present. It is so out of character for me to view art as a commercial enterprise. Art is self expression, executed with hard work and learning of the mediums, so we can eventually through familiarity with the tools of our chosen mediums, work passionately. Attending shows is not at all easy for me. In fact it is my demise in that I dread it so much that finally taking the plunge takes me forever to make that commitment. I simply am an extremely private, and introverted woman. However, the reality is that we must sell our art. So the show must go on and it is always exciting to share the experience with other artists and get feedback from the public. This is a time in my life whereby I am most confident in my work. Maturing to a higher level does pave the way to looking forward to exhibiting with a more positive frame of mind.

I love critiques. We as artists have tough skins and negative critiques we learn from, positive ones make us feel just great.

Mary Vecchio

Mixed media artist