Mara Schasteen

Artwork submitted for bid 
at our September 4, 2011 auction:

"Calla Lilies"
12"x20", Oil
Gallery Price: $2,200

Mara Schasteen is a Wyoming native and a lifetime artist. Her passion for art began as a small child, carving drawings into planks of wood with tools from her dad’s shed. Growing up in the beautiful Big Horn Mountains, Mara developed a passion for nature and a desire to express its beauty in unique and exciting ways. Today, Mara’s intense self-study of the arts has produced a fresh technical style that draws elements from many of her heroes in art, past and present.

Studying graphic design and advertising at Oklahoma Christian University provided Mara with a solid foundation in design, color theory and the effort required to become excellent at whatever the task may be. Mara began a family shortly after college and as she set about the important mission of raising four brilliant children, she discovered and slowly developed her true passion for fine art and portraiture.

Mara describes herself an expressive naturalist painter, desiring to convey moods, emotions and energy with textures, colors and intimate subjects. Mara finds great joy in her gift of art and she boldly uses her talent to celebrate simple beauty.

Working most commonly as a direct painter, alla prima, Mara’s ability to combine illusions of reality with expressive textures treats the viewer to a simple telling of poetic stories, inviting the eye to enjoy the nature of oil paint itself and experience the energy carefully placed into each stroke.

Mara currently lives and paints in Sheridan, Wyoming with her husband, four children and six chickens.

Exhibitions

2013  The Bradford Brinton Memorial and Museum, Big Horn, Wyoming

2011  The 16th Annual Richard Schmid Fine Art Auction, Stove Prairie, Colorado

2011  The SAGE First Annual Juried Exhibition, Sheridan, Wyoming

2011  The BLOSSOM II ~ Art of Flowers Premeire Exhibition, Naples, Florida

2010  The 15th Annual Richard Schmid Fine Art Auction, Stove Prairie, Colorado

2010  The Sheridan College Martinsen Gallery, Sheridan, Wyoming

2010  Davis Gallery, Sheridan Wyoming

Awards

2011  Winner, Best of Show and People's Choice awards, SAGE First Annual Juried Exhibition,  Sheridan, Wyoming
2011  Finalist, ACOPAL (America China Oil Painting Artists League) realist painting competition

2010  Finalist, BLOSSOM II ~ Art of Flowers competition hosted by the Susan Kathleen Black Foundation

2010  Honorable Mention, BLOSSOM II ~ Art of Flowers hosted by the Susan Kathleen Black Foundation

www.maraschasteen.com

If you wish to compete in the bidding on auction day, you must obtain approval to bid by phone (see below) or attend the live auction.

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