Mary Hauge

Hometown:

Arizona

Statement:

I think of art as a personal philosophy.  I'm currently interested in "People consumed with people".  My paintings are sometimes referred to as contemporary modern expressionist with an emphasis on line and composition. To me, line defines all. It is a perpetual mutant, moving and stopping, growing then shrinking, shaping and eliminating. When line forms a composition, the result is meaning, and color brings out the emotion. My paintings begin with a rather small sketch, which evolves considerably once applied to the canvas. I don’t know what the painting is telling me until it’s finished. At that time, I sit back and analyze it, most often, it is a revelation of my journey through life, my thoughts, feelings and emotions. I’ve been told that I’m a "hard nut to crack", perhaps my paintings exemplify that statement.

Background:

The majority of my life has been spent in Seattle, enriched with a large, loving, diverse family as well as Washington’s beautiful landscape; from the dry barren east to shores of the Pacific Ocean, the ever stretching tide flats of Puget Sound and the Peninsula’s temperate rain forest. My father ran his own Architectural Construction Company, where early on, I learned the importance of "clean line" and symmetry. My mother, Joy Hauge, was an artist of the 60's and 70's, through her I learned to appreciate art and it’s philosophies. In 1982, I attended "The Factory of Visual Arts" school in Seattle, studying design and oil painting. My paintings have shown in various galleries throughout Washington, I also won 1^st place at the Pacific NW Art Fair. Then, from 1985 through 2005, I devoted my time to raising 4 children. During that period, I painted a few children’s portraits. Now, after a 20 year pause, I am rekindling my passion for painting.