Mary Koehl - “Magnolia Oaks”

ARTIST STATEMENT:
“Growing up, my home was on the Wisconsin River. Everyday I observed changes in water and sand and the vegetation. I explored islands, river bluffs, caves and the pieces of our world that drift with the current and are changed by it. Now, for over 30 years, the Sugar River has been “my river.” I’ve roam its banks, explored i’s tributaries and navigate its waterways. Always intrigued by the forms of plants, I collect all kinds of seeds and leaves and other specimens to examine and draw. On the Sugar the birds are a particular attraction—especially the big birds like herons and cranes who can be seen regularly. More recently, I have become interested in our native plants and landscapes including the landscapes near me around the Sugar River. In previous work—mostly black and white drawings—my images did not emerged fully-formed but rather grew and changed as the work developed. In a sense, I had to discover what was meant to appear. Working in pastel—especially with such intense color—is a more recent development for me. Because the medium is new, these drawings feel a bit more circumscribed and, in that sense, have become an exercise in both expression and restraint”