Mary Payton
Mary is a mixed media painter living in Sioux Falls with her husband and two Chihuahuas. She attended SDSU for Fine Art and Art Education, and has since taught herself many different media, from Silversmithing to fused and carved glass. As a visually impaired artist, her current work is an exploration of what it feels like to live with a brain that refuses to see the way everyone else does. Mixing spray paint, pigment blocks, water-soluble media, oil pastels, markers, and gold leaf; her pieces are generally very vibrant and uplifting.
Artist Statement
My current work is about color and how it can be uplifting, motion and how it rules our lives, and the dots that are ever-present for me. Interesting combination, I know! During studio time, my mind is just trying to resolve how it feels to live under a constant blanket of dots and the confusion of no longer understanding motion visibly. More so, it is about refusing to let the loss of my sense-of-self become my identity. I create colorful work because it feels joyful, and that’s who I want to be. That’s how I want anyone to feel when they are in the room with one of my paintings.