Working primarily in oil on canvas, Mary Jane Atkins is inspired by the world around her, creating artwork through landscape, still life, nature, birds, portraits, dreams, or simply en plein air painting. Mary Jane paints from the soul and is attracted to subjects that reflect that kind of soulful connection. At the same time, her painting style can be whimsical and lighthearted, and at other times leaning toward the political. One thing is for sure – she has her own sense of style.
Her technique is bold and rich. There’s no mistake - she has a passion for color. Yet if the mood calls for it, she can be inspired to paint in cool, soft hues. Creating art for Mary Jane is a constant adventure in exploring anything that touches her sensitivity - it might be simple interpretations of contemporary life, serene contemplations of nature, historical adaptation of someone or something close to her heart, literary subjects of interest, socio-political ideals, works of art reflecting a feminist perspective, or simply a unique abstract that mirrors her deepest sense of sorrow or love.
Mary Jane is a multi-talented artist and educator. She was born in Omaha, Nebraska, and while growing up, Mary Jane found herself building and creating artifacts at home, with intermittent spells of painting. She loved taking art classes in college, but interrupted her artistic pursuits, eventually moving to San Francisco in 1967. She relocated to Los Angeles in 1984 and started painting in oils again, beginning with abstracts. Extending her love of art to literature, she obtained her bachelors and masters degrees in English to pursue a career as English professor at local community colleges. Her unwavering commitment to the Arts and Humanities remains constant and strong. Budget cutbacks to any art and literary programs anywhere by anyone to any student willing to learn, she feels is nothing short of criminal.
She has studied under the talented spirit of Margo Gravelle in Granada Hills, California, and with Margo and other artists, has been involved in one of her favorite activities – plein air painting. She paints her landscapes in oil, acrylic, watercolor, or color pastels. Her favorite plein air painters are Emily Carr, Canadian Group of Seven, Charles Burchfield, and of course, the European Impressionists. She is fortunate enough to paint at some of the most beautiful pastoral locations in the Western Hemisphere, including Death Valley, Alabama Hills, Mt. Whitney and Sierra Mountains, Lake Tahoe, Ojai Valley, Joshua Tree National Park, and all of coastal California.
Inspired by artists like Alice Neel, Mary Jane’s portraitures range anywhere from friends to historical, literary and feminist figures, and at times a focus on lesbian artists and writers. Her impressionistic portraits blend the soul of the subject into their personal background in which they are framed.
Mary Jane’s interests are as wide and varied as her painting subjects. She and Margo Gravelle co-founded Soul Camp Workshops where participants create artworks in a spiritually meditative atmosphere; she is a part of Dream Tenders, which includes painting her dreams in acrylic and water color; and she deepens her spirituality through her metaphysical community, studying everything from 13th century poet Rumi to Science of Mind and beyond. Mary Jane’s success as an artist is a result of her curiosity in everything that life has to offer. Full creative expression, whatever that looks like, is her life’s work.
Mary Jane’s paintings have been exhibited locally for over fifteen years.
She currently resides in the San Fernando Valley near Los Angeles, California, and is available for commissioned work.
