About

BIOGRAPHY

Mary Marnell is a painter currently based in Athens, GA. She received her BFA from the University of Georgia. As a non-traditional student, she pursued her degree over several years, which allowed her to savor and deeply value her artistic education. From an early age, Mary has been exploring various artistic avenues, cultivating a practice that embraces experimentation. Today, she primarily engages with oil on canvas, drawing inspiration from personal family photos, the resonance of nostalgia, and the nuances of memory. Mary’s artistic curiosity knows no bounds, often leading her to other mediums, including digital illustration and painting, photography, and more as inspiration strikes.

In parallel with her artistic practice, Mary has carved out a decade long career in the tech industry and has owned and operated a web development firm out of Atlanta, GA since 2019. Her remote team focuses on meticulously coding designs for a diverse clientele, ranging from design agencies to software developers based all over the world. Her agency’s work has been featured in Awwwards, WIRED, Inc Magazine, and other publications. Mary values her agency as yet another facet of her creative expression, blending her artistic vision with her keen attention to detail.

STATEMENT

In my paintings, I explore psychological and existentialist themes through sinuous compositions, extending an invitation for viewers to unravel and interpret the conceptual and pictorial enigmas they encounter.

Through careful layering of imagery from family photos and my own life experiences, I navigate the passage of time, reflecting on personal histories. I manipulate this visual collage with scale and placement, as well as the drama and subtlety of light, to convey ideas of memory and nostalgia.

The inclusion of depictions of nature, familiar objects, and textile patterns alongside these images serves as vessels for the often conflicting emotions tied to my personal experiences—joyful moments and memories contrasted with the inherent sorrow in their passing.