Mary Goodson

Biography

Mary’s venture into art started while growing up next door to an artist who always had her studio door open to her, becoming her mentor and teacher. Mary would sit and watch the magic of a white canvas be covered in paint. Mary’s art education continued at University of California San Jose, where she took a class in the new area called “Fabric Arts.” Her professor brought with her from England a new fabric dye, Procion Dye, which allowed her to paint dye onto fabric as she had applied paint onto paper and canvas. The process grabbed her and never let go. After graduating with a BA in Design and Special Studies in Fiber, Mary worked doing ad layouts for department stores and individual companies. She continued painting and dyeing fabric, entering juried shows, showing in galleries, teaching dyeing classes, and doing volunteer art education in the elementary schools.

Mary’s artwork can be found in private and public collections, juried and invitational art shows and as a member of Lunaria Gallery in Silverton, Oregon.

Artist’s statement

My artwork is a way for me to express what I see, feel and think. It is my way to stimulate people to ask questions, explore and make a statement about what they see. Fabric is the perfect medium to use because it’s so versatile and touches so many senses. In my work you can see where I dyed it, painted it, layered it, folded it and then added stitching on top. It allows me to create depth, texture and mystery, to urge you to ask, “How was that done and can I touch it?”

My current work is based on the environment and social issues taking place in our small world. It’s made to draw you in and, as you look closer, to see the fine details that help tell why the work was created and to touch you in some special way.