Mary Hughes is a native Bostonian who studied art at Boston University (BFA) and at the Massachusetts College of Art (MFA). Among her earliest visual influences were the many patterns and designs of the textiles and wall surfaces that adorned the Arts + Crafts-style home in which she was raised. Her art education led her to the tradition of landscape painting. Nature became the primary inspiration for her artwork. As the work has evolved from representation to abstraction, references to nature remain evident as does the influence of pattern and repetition. Mary’s current work is an investigation of formal issues such as line, color, shape, and composition. The paintings are built up through multiple layers with the composition evolving in reaction through the mark making process. The fragmentation and layering of forms are inspired by the natural world, in particular, the energetic and chaotic nature of the city environment in which she lives.

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