Painting North Carolina With Mary Benson
Sunlight shines brightly against the white-coloured walls of Mary Benson’s home studio, softly accentuating the vibrant hues of the paintings scattered about. Various shades of pink, blue, yellow, green and orange fill the room: brushstrokes of joy. True to Mary’s art, flower seeds cover her desk while the wood floor and plants bring more of her beloved nature in.
Mary paints here daily with her white Lab, Gus, at her feet. “Sometimes he likes to lie on the couch and watch me paint from there,” Mary says, with a smile. “It’s so nice and bright in here, whenever I go away, I can’t wait to get back and finish painting.”
“Whenever I go away, I can’t wait to get back and finish painting!”
When I saw my first Mary Benson painting, I was impressed by how much the beautiful serenity of the artwork seemed to resemble the artist herself. I saw Mary’s sensitivity, openness and sunny disposition reflected in the painting’s delicate flowers, soft clouds and bright colors. This spoke of her authenticity and bravery, immediately moving me to learn more about Mary’s approach to art.
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Photo credit: Mary Benson
Mary was encouraged to pursue art by a teacher in high school who told her that if she took her art seriously, could be a great artist one day. Becoming an artist was always Mary’s dream though she knew it was only something she could do on the side to start. “I chose to minor in art and major in graphic communications,”Mary says about her studies at Clemson. It turns out a minor was all she needed.
“Art for me is an escape. It’s where I find peace and feel steady.”
Her artistic inspiration is rooted in the expansiveness of the mountains and beaches of her home state of North Carolina. Being immersed in them helps ground her and reframe her perspective. “As a child I loved running around in the woods and playing in the dirt,” Mary says. Art provides Mary with the same delightful benefits as nature does. “Art for me is an escape. It’s where I find peace and feel steady,” she shares. “The vibrant colours stem from feelings of joy, peace and freedom.”
Mary works almost exclusively with oil paint, but also enjoys the look of stained glass and sometimes uses mosaics along the perimeter of her paintings. “I think contemporary impressionism may be a good way to describe my aesthetic, though it’s not really impressionism,” says Mary, with a laugh, attempting to find a way to describe her work. It’s really just Mary Benson style — an instinctive and heartfelt aesthetic that still allows for the nature paintings to form on their own.
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Rhododendron Sunset painted by Mary Benson
Photo credit: Mary Benson
Painting these land and seascapes for the rest of us to enjoy is a gift. The works of art radiate sunshine and hope as does the artist herself. Mary sells her artwork primarily through her website. She also sells to stores and has an ongoing collaboration with Anne Neilson Fine Art in Charlotte where she just wrapped up an exhibition. In addition to her oil paintings, Mary also sells prints. These affordable giclée archival prints on quality cotton paper make art more accessible. “Originals are great if you’re looking to have something of your own,” says Mary. Choosing to also sell prints was a good business move. “Prints have opened a new stream of income for me and takes pressure off,” Mary explains.
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Photo Credit: Mary Benson
While a constant desire to paint is Mary’s main driving force, her love of connection, community and collaboration helps her strive further. “My friend and I started our own little artist collective here in Charlotte. We all meet once a month to talk about our artwork and discuss topics like having an abundance versus scarcity mindset,” she says. Mary loves having a global view of the art world, including the business aspect. She adores devoting time in the afternoon to marketing, administration and social media, where she continues to forge beautiful connections with artists and business partners.
Mary is growing as a painter and dreams of one day becoming a resource for other artists. Her instincts have already brought her this far, and her future is sure to shine bright!
For more on Mary and her art, head over to Mary Benson Art Home or follow her on Instagram and TikTok.
Beneath the Southern Canopy painted by Mary Benson
Photo credit: Mary Benson
TEXT BY FATIMA RIZZO