Location: United States
. Mary Ann Stafford is a highly recognized artist who resides in Maumelle, Arkansas. Her education credentials include a BSE and an MA degree in English; art hours from Kansas City Art Institute and the UofA, and an EdD in Secondary Education with an emphasis in art education. She began the art program at Pine Bluff High School where she taught English and art, later becoming assistant principal. She retired from the Arkansas Department of Education.
In addition to formal art training, Stafford has continued to take and teach art workshops. She is a Signature member of the Pastel Society of the Southwest, Arkansas Pastel Society, Arkansas League of Artists, and Mid-Southern Watercolorists. As a regular exhibitor, she has won major awards in Arkansas and Texas. Her paintings are in private collections in Arkansas and several other states. Her web site is www.staffordart.com; her teaching blog is at www.pastelanne.wordpress.com.
This portfolio includes my pastel landscapes from several years ago to the present. My major subject matter has always been the landscape, usually an unencumbered, atmospheric landscape without the presence of man. Once in a while I will include a barn, or small church, but it is an accent, not the main emphasis. I want my viewers to feel the serenity of nature as opposed to the fast, complicated aspects of modern life, helping them slow down and really seeing the world around them. Whether working in watermedia or pastel, my message is one of spirituality, peace, and hope.
My inspiration comes chiefly from the Arkansas scenes and places where I have traveled and where I live. At the present, I am focusing on sunset and sunrise paintings, sometimes working on black surfaces that I have prepared myself. I call my style “Romantic Realism” because of the emotional content. If my paintings cause others to feel an awareness of God’s hand in creation, I have accomplished my purpose.
A storm seems to be brewing at the close of day. The sun has just set in the distance with a sky of yellows and oranges, but the advancing clouds of blue, blue-green, and purple suggest a change to the peace of the evening. The colors of the clouds are echoed in the land below and the trees above. The painting started out with a scene from my living room window, but became much more intense and emotional as I worked. Matted and framed: 18 x 22"
This is a pastel painting showing a night scene on the Mississippi River. I took the reference photo from a cruise ship while standing on my balcony. It's a beautiful, restful depiction of the river with a city in the distance. Intense colors of orange and purple are reflected in the water as the sinking sun casts a yellow glow on the horizon. With the frame the painting is 18 x 22" - $375.
Evening on the Arkansas River with Pinnacle Mountain in the distance is the subject of this pastel painting. I see this scene everytime I cross the bridge over the river, and I am always entranced by its beauty. At evening, the sky is purple and orange with some yellow as the setting sun illuminates the waters. Great depth is achieved with the distant mountains, the river, and some land in the foreground. The painting is matted and framed: 24 x 28". Price is $515.
“Advancing Clouds”
“Last Light”
“Dusk Settles In”
