The Artist

Mary Helen Follingstad

“Art operates with infinitely small dimensions.”

       Mary Helen paints in acrylic, ink, watercolor, gouache,  and oil mediums on canvas, board and paper.
       Recent works are abstract color block paintings. Line and color are woven into forms, reflecting the wild spirit of the sky, the mystery of water, or the intimacy of rock and companion vegetation.  The paintings reflect study of technique and expression of artists such as Bonnard, Miro, and Kandinsky.
       Mary Helen Follingstad holds a Bachelor of Fine Arts from the University of Denver (1966) and a Master of Fine Arts from the University of Colorado (1973).  She is a native of Santa Fe, New Mexico.

Artist’s Statement

“When I paint I am always aware of intrinsic abstraction in the world I observe and compositions of line, shapes, rhythm, and color images emerge.  My paintings―like Haiku – are unique observations of being and spirit in the moment.”

 Near Raton  “Near Raton”   Water Color 15″ x 15″ “Silent volcanoes rise at prairies edge —yellow grass, stormy black sky.”
     

Selected Juried Shows

The Art Center at the Fuller Lodge in Los Alamos-Miniature Show (February 2003)
The Art Center at the Fuller Lodge -Enchanted by Bandelier Show (August 2003)
Tybie Davis Sutin Gallery in the Santa Fe Public Library (March 2004)
Masterworks of New Mexico (April 2004)
2004 National Small Works Show – Red Dot Fine Art, Santa Fe, NM
Inside 8 – Center for Contemporary Arts – Santa Fe, NM (May 2004)
Encantada! Rio Grande Art Association Annual Juried Show – 2004
National Water Color Society – All Member Exhibition -2005
Collect New Mexico – Museum of New Mexico Foundation – 2005
Masterworks of New Mexico—Miniature Show (April 2007)
The Art Center at the Fuller Lodge – Red Dominant Show – 2008

Gallery Representation

Artistas de Santa Fe Gallery in Santa Fe, New Mexico (2003-7)
Metaform Gallery, Taos, New Mexico (2003-5)
Mesas Edge, Taos, New Mexico (2005-7)

 

One Person Exhibitions 

First National Bank of Santa Fe – Custom Banking Office – August-December 2008
Wells Fargo Bank Gallery, Santa Fe, NM – October 2008
New Mexico State Land Office Exhibition Space – October 2012
St Johns College Alumni Show – 2012
Santa Fe Artists Showcase – Historic Santa Fe Foundation – 2017