Artist Statement

My two loves in life are art and biology. I have drawn and painted and studied art all my life. I have also studied nature, the forest, gardening and permaculture principles, starting with a biology degree, and culminating in creating and growing a food landscape on our property in Barss Corner Nova Scotia. I continue to be inspired to paint the beauty around me, to study it, understand its significance, and share it with my family and community through my art.

In my art I am striving for "loose economy" - a certain level of realism with a loose gestural quality, and details only where needed. I create works in several series, such as portraying the important pollinators in my gardens, the farm animals and their stories, and exploring our human relationships with animals, especially dogs. Lately I am studying the principles of abstract art and trying to incorporate its compositional ideas into my work.

Biography

Mary Morey is a local artist with backgrounds in plant ecology and medical illustration. During her work as a botanist, Mary studied mosses and discovered a miniature landscape full of beauty. She enjoys portraying this tiny world on a larger scale, making the small and seemingly insignificant, significant to the viewer, as well as portraying other favourite forest floor residents such as small creatures, fungi, ferns and flowering plants. Her career as a medical illustrator further developed her drawing skills, and the ability to tell a story/educate through pictures.

Occasionally she offers classes in drawing, portraiture, and colour in her community of Union Square and at the Mahone Bay Centre. During the school year she runs a Monday Art Group at Union Square Hall for community members to share creative time in drawing and painting or other portable media.

Her work is in private collections across Canada, and can be viewed at Captain's House Gallery in Chester, NS, Village Glass Works in New Germany, the LaHave Craft Cooperative in LaHave, on Instagram @marymoreyart, and on her Facebook page (Mary Sims-Morey).

Mary lives, paints, and farms in Lunenburg County Nova Scotia.