Mary Dawson's intricate paintings are so detailed and masterfully executed that viewers would never guess she only began painting two years ago. The accomplished artist, previously known for her ceramic sculptures, made the transition to painting when she moved to her current home and found herself without adequate space for the messy work that ceramics required.
"I just didn't want to contend with the mess of making the ceramics," Dawson explained. "And I thought, I have this perfect little studio and it's perfect for painting. I took a couple painting classes in college when I got my art degree, but I've never been a painter. But, I thought, I've been an artist all my life—I can be a painter."
Dawson's artistic journey will be showcased in her upcoming solo exhibition titled "Enduring Beauty," featuring both her paintings and sculptures. The show will run from October 17 through December 20, 2025, at 20 North Gallery, located at 18 N. St. Clair St. in Toledo. Art enthusiasts can attend the opening reception scheduled for 6 to 9 p.m. on Friday, October 17, followed by an artist talk from 2 to 5 p.m. on November 23.
The transition to painting represented a significant leap of faith for the artist. "I can draw, and I have something to say," she said. "I decided I would spend a year or so and see where it took me." That decision has paid off remarkably well, as Dawson quickly developed her distinctive photorealistic style focusing on flora and natural subjects.
For Dawson, the appeal of her subject matter goes beyond simple botanical representation. "It's not so much that they're flowers," she said. "It's nature and the organic shapes, and the color. That's really what drew me. Like my sculpture, my paintings are very organic, and they move, like nature. They're very sensuous. But nature is like that, the way things move together and blend in. It's a subject matter that I like, that has a lot of range to it in terms of color and movement."
Dawson's creative process is both meticulous and demanding. She begins each piece by taking her own photographs, ensuring every detail meets her exacting standards. "I take, almost exclusively, the photo myself," she explained. "It has to be exactly right, the lighting and the image, everything about that particular flower. I take a number of shots and then crop them until I find what I want to paint."
Once the photographic foundation is established, the real work begins in her studio, where Dawson maintains a rigorous schedule. Working six to seven days a week, she dedicates extraordinary amounts of time to each piece. "I usually spend 80 hours, sometimes 100, on every painting," she said. "Some of them have taken up to 120 hours. It's challenging and sometimes it's a bit difficult and slow. But it is tremendously satisfying when I finish."
Dawson's return to serious art-making came after retiring from her career in graphic design. She found herself searching for meaningful activity and purpose in retirement. "You can only walk your dog and drive around in your golf cart so much," she said with characteristic honesty about the realities of retirement life.
The inspiration to return to art came partly from watching her son Ian Dawson develop as a glass artist. Observing the fulfillment her son derived from his artistic practice helped crystallize her own needs and desires. "He was so satisfied with his work, it made me realize that I need to make art, because that's who I really am and what I love to do," she reflected. This realization ultimately led to her successful transition from ceramics to painting and her current artistic renaissance.
