Known for my brilliantly colorful floral paintings inspired by the gardens I designed and tend surrounding my studio, these flower paintings represent to me a microcosm of the universe and ask questions beyond the canvas.
Mary Ahern is a classically trained artist working in both traditional and digital mediums. The compositional framework on which she designs her Art is from a lifelong study of the great old masters.
As a Fine Artist, when Ahern is painting in oils she uses a classical approach to process derived from the working methodology of the 17th Century Golden Age of Dutch floral painters which is epitomized by the layering of paint over a grisaille underpainting. Rejecting their more traditional style of botanical imagery, she brings a fresh, new and modern use of color and scale to these centuries old glazing techniques.
Throughout the years her Fine Art has been shown in museums and galleries and is represented in hundreds of private collections. Ahern creates her Fine Art Paintings using her own extensive gardens for inspiration and thereby capitalizing on her degrees in Fine Arts and in Horticulture.
Ahern worked full time for many years in the computer graphics industry while always maintaining her own working studio, producing Fine Art in traditional mediums. This left-brained/right-brained synergy has been instrumental in allowing her to achieve her high level of success in a variety of venues.
During her professional career in the television & broadcast production fields she held National and Regional Sales and Marketing positions. She taught and lectured extensively about computer graphics, was invited to present a variety of topics at various trade show panels and has been the focus of industry publications. Having received a concussion on the glass ceiling, Ahern launched her own company, Online Design, in the mid ‘90’s. With this endeavor she was able to very successfully combine her graphic arts talent and her extensive computer graphics experience.
With a deep interest in Art History, Ahern explores, through Digital and Traditional mediums, a reinterpreting of the work of historical artists and genres.
