Mary Spellings received her BA in art from Union University in Jackson, Tennessee. She has studied with many notables, like Tony Couch, E. John Robinson, Franklin Jones, and Albert Handell. During her 30 plus years of painting, Mary has done many commissioned works for people all over the United States. She has done wall murals for the National Bird Dog Museum in Grand Junction, Tennessee. Mary has work in Canada, England, Brazil, China, Australia, and in many private collections around the world. Around West Tennessee, she is known for limited edition prints of local landmarks. Mary enjoys painting portraits, animals, historic buildings, and landscapes. Mary seeks to tell the story of life in West Tennessee through her work. Her favorite mediums are watercolor and pastel. Mary lives in the small country town of Mercer and enjoys animals and nature. She is a member of the Jackson Art Association, the Memphis Germantown Art League, and a signature member of the Kentucky Watercolor Society, the Tennessee Watercolor Society, the Watercolor Society of Alabama, the Missouri Watercolor Society, and the Southern Watercolor Society.
Mary has had many solo shows in the region:
2005 | Hendersonville Arts Council at historic Monthaven |
The Ned, Jackson, Tennessee | |
2006 | Parsons Cultural Arts Council at the Parsons Municipal Center |
Arts in the Airport - Nashville International Airport | |
2007 | Corinth Artist's Guild Gallery in Corinth, Mississippi |
2008 | Bank of Jackson |
One of four guest artists for the Strawberry Festival Art Show, Humboldt, TN | |
Part of group exhibition "Our Town" at Askew, Nixon, Ferguson Architectural, Memphis | |
2009 | Solo Show at Tennessee Art League Premiere Gallery - Nashville |
2010 | Found 2010 at Ned - Jackson, TN |
Mary has won numerous awards:
2000 | Central South Art Exhibition - Nashville - Burt Brush Watercolor Award |
MGAL Spring Show - Graphics Award | |
2001 | Gibson County Top of the Art - Best of Show |
2003 | National League of Pen women - Second Place |
West Tennessee State Fair - Best of Show, First Place | |
2004 | MGAL - Watercolor Award, Best Color |
Middleton Fur, Fin, & Feathers - Best of Show, First Place | |
Somerville's Cotton Festival - Best of Show | |
2005 | Savannah Art Show - Best of Show, Best Animal |
Mid - South Fair Memphis - Best of Show, First Place | |
Southern Expressions - Bolivar, First Place, Best Architecture | |
2006 | Gibson Co. Visual Arts Assoc. - Best of Show |
Kentucky Watercolor Society - Brown - Forman Purchase Award | |
Jackson Art Association - Bancorp South Purchase Award | |
2007 | Jackson Art Association - Purchase Award, First place, Second place, 'Best Perspective' |
Parsons Peavine - Best of show | |
Artists of Northwest Arkansas - postcard award | |
Middleton art show - Best of show | |
2008 | Savannah art show - Best of show |
JAA - purchase award, best color | |
KWS - Brown-Foreman purchase award | |
2010 | Memphis Germantown Art League "Star Artist" - Second Place |
Memphis Germantown Art League - Best of Show | |
Southern Watercolor Society - Muhlenberg County Arts Advocacy Award of Honor | |
Savannah Art Guild - Best of Show | |
Southern Expressions - Best of Show | |
2011 | Fur, Fin, and Feathers - Best of Show |
GCVAA - Third Place | |
Jackson Art Association - Purchase Award | |
Savannah Art Guild - Best of Show | |
2012 | Jackson Art Association - Purchase Award |
Bolivar Southern Expressions - Third Place | |
Tennessee Watercolor Society - Da Vinci Award | |
2013 | Memphis-Germantown Art League - Second Place |
Bolivar Southern Expressions - Second Place, Best of Show | |
Watercolor Society of Alabama - Patron Fine Art Award | |
2014 | Jackson Art Association - Purchase Award |
Contact the artist at mary.spellings@gmail.com