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Mary Tilton - February 2025

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Updated: 5 days ago

Mary Tilton - February '25 Spotlight Artist
Mary Tilton - February '25 Spotlight Artist

How and where did your art practice begin? 

I have always been a maker experimenting with various art and craft media. I started painting seriously as I approached retirement from my technical career. Watercolor pleased and challenged me. I started learning about composition and subject matter and quickly realized how much I had to learn, which kept me motivated. I started showing work with the Wisconsin Regional Arts Program (WRAP), which opened a whole new world of competition and camaraderie as I met other artists and shared my work outside of my studio.


Where do you draw inspiration for your forms and designs?

My primary subject is Wisconsin’s landscape. As I drive around the state, I’m continually amazed at its beauty and variety. I sometimes paint on site, but I am increasingly painting from memory. It’s a constant experiment to portray the feeling of a place without the specific detail of each element in a scene.

How do you plan your pieces and how do you decide when they’re finished?

I start with a value study to maintain balance and understand the light and dark areas of the painting. I use photos as reference material in my studio as a point of departure. As I paint, I trust that what I’m trying to convey will come forward. I do have a general sense when I start, but it seems that my most successful work comes when I allow the painting to evolve naturally.


The painting is finished when it is balanced in all the design aspects and colors, both light/dark and warm/cool. Then, if it feels right, I consider it finished.


What draws you to your preferred medium? 

I enjoy the challenge and unpredictability of watercolor. With experience, I’m making better first choices and can achieve the values I want in the first strokes. The fluidity and flow of watercolor keeps me coming back for more – painting sometimes feels like magic as the water carries pigment across the surface.


Oil painting brings so much depth to the color choices. The ability to make corrections, wipe off and start over, and build layers are attributes of oil painting that I freely use. Oil painting behaves better outdoors, so I use it for plein air work.


Where is your practice now? Where is it growing? 

I have come to realize how much artists enrich the world through the brave act of showing work in public. It takes courage to share your inner thoughts and make them viewable to the world. Thus, I’m working on painting even more from the heart, using skills that I have and developing them more as I need to. Although I love all the technical aspects of painting, I want to move beyond being a technical painter and develop an inner eye.


Upcoming events/sales/where can your work be purchased? 

I have work at the Art Hub!


Upcoming shows for 2025 include:

  • Brewery Pottery, Mineral Point – April, a three-person exhibit

  • UW Hospital, Madison – April, Madison Watercolor Society Show

  • Pyle Center, Madison – July, Wisconsin Visual Artists South Central Chapter Show

  • The Beloit Art Center, Beloit – September, a four person show

  • UW Hospital, Madison September – Wisconsin Visual Artists South Central Chapter Show


My work is available directly from me on my website: www.marytilton.com


How does being involved with a community art space like Art Hub impact your art practice?

I enjoy the solitude of my studio, where I can work freely. However, connecting with others has been essential for my personal and artistic growth. Communities like the Art Hub provide a supportive environment where my work is understood. Show openings, classes, and special events offer opportunities for interaction with a variety of people interested in art. I’m so grateful for this opportunity to connect with other people interested in art!

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