One of my greatest joys as a child was to draw. However, I didn’t formally study art until I was an adult. I have studied painting, drawing and printmaking at The Barnstone Studios, The Baum School of Art, and The Banana Factory. I continue to study drawing at The Baum School of Art.
Although I studied art as a young adult, I didn’t truly put my studying to actual painting until about ten years ago. My business careers in both marketing communications and language and intercultural services, as well as my family (husband and three children) kept me quite occupied.
It has been so rewarding for me to return to art. My work has been exhibited in numerous juried shows: Hudson Valley Art Association, Five Points Gallery, CT; Cultural Center of Cape Cod, MA; The Bethlehem Palette Club, PA; The Lehigh Art Alliance, PA; the Philadelphia Sketch Club, PA; New Hope, PA; Stockton, NJ, and other national exhibits, and many of my paintings are in private collections. I’m very honored to have had my work exhibited and sold.
If I could offer advice to anyone who wishes to explore art, it would be not to doubt yourself. Continue to study and practice (practice, practice and more practice!). If I don’t have a direction or image in mind, one thing I find very helpful is to go through my art books and look at the images of my favorite painters. Honestly, within minutes, I’m inspired!
I believe art is at once personal and public. I paint what I personally find beautiful. While I may enjoy these images myself, if my painting should give someone else a moment of pleasure, then I have achieved both personally and publicly. At times, a single image can be so powerful, I need to capture its fleeting essence so that the viewer also may participate in its intimacy and invitation.
[You can view more of Mary Millan Klunk’s work at her website.]
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ART@EPL is the library’s exciting partnership with the Lehigh Art Alliance and the Lehigh Valley Arts Council. The series is funded through a grant from PA Partners in the Arts, making it possible for area residents to enjoy free art lectures and workshops from local artists working in pastels, charcoal, sculpture, and watercolor among others.
Visit the ART@EPL page to see all the artists who have led workshops and exhibited work at the library as part of ART@EPL.
