About Mary Quinnan Whittle
Mary Quinnan Whittle began her art studies at Pratt Institute in New York, and graduated magna cum laude with a BFA degree in drawing and printmaking from the University of Central Florida. She did her graduate studies in England and Italy through the University of Georgia’s studies abroad program, and had the good fortune to receive several scholarships for her studies both in the US and overseas. She is a member of Phi Kappa Phi, the Southern Highlands Craft Guild, the Foothills Craft Guild, and In-Town Gallery in Chattanooga, Tennessee.
"Image making is as personal to me as selecting art is to you", Whittle tells us. "My eye tends to gravitate toward patterns-or repetition of line within a composition, but I'm not looking for a flat pattern. Depth is a significant issue. That may be why I am attracted to the etching medium; one has to sculpt the copper plate to create depth.
The Potter's Wife 3 x 5 inches
Much of my artwork is illustrative. I see something, it appeals to me and I draw it. The response is that simple. It may be a flower, a car, or a building, but I'm always looking for that shadow, the reflection, the depth and the geometry...and the story. The art, especially the monotypes, often have a story behind them.
"Monotypes (one of a kind prints), I think of as my alter ego. They are so different from the etchings in that they are colorful and painterly, and I haven't a clue ahead of time what I'm going to get. It's completely intuitive. The images are intensely personal and have gone through the press several times with different layers of inks and chine collé. Some are embellished with pastel. Creating them is like a chess game, I'm planning the moves two and three stages ahead of time and always asking "What if I did this...?
Mary began teaching in Florida where she was a certified teacher in the public school system. Since moving to Tennessee in 1992, she has continued to teach and exhibit her award winning etchings and monotypes. In addition to image making, she is interested in the interaction between art and technology and the exciting breakthroughs in safe printmaking techniques. She is available to individuals and art groups for workshops and classes.