Mary Decker
Yellow Flame Azaleas, Watercolor
I'm a mountain girl, born in the mountains of Pennsylvania where I roamed endlessly enjoying the fauna and flora. After a career in the city, I longed to return to the mountains. I settled here in the beautiful mountains of Western North Carolina where I find endless inspiration for my art.
I'm drawn (no pun intended) to the complexities of flowers and foliage. The shapes, the colors. Each is unique in its own way and far more complicated than many might think. An in-depth look at a 'simple' red flower may reveal pinks and purples, and blues, in addition to numerous shades of red. The leaves on a tree which may appear to all be identical are actually individuals unto themselves when viewed up close. The diversity in Nature is amazing if we take the time to really look.
I started my serious art career painting in watercolor. I had always heard that watercolor is the hardest medium to work in. I took that as a challenge. I spent months reading and studying watercolor before ever picking up a brush. I feel that it benefited me in that I didn't develop bad habits that I'd need to unlearn. I also paint in acrylics; I do that when I need to paint but just want to have fun with it.
