Mary Michael Shelley has been making her carved and painted pictures for the past 35 years. Self-taught as an artist, her work is best described as folk art. Her father, who was also a woodcarver, provided the inspiration for Mary becoming an artist.

Mary finds an endless stream of inspiration for her work, whether it be narrative pictures of barns and diners, or more expressive pieces, such as her “dream” series. She works out of her back yard studio, a former two-car garage, in Ithaca, NY – the heart of the Finger Lakes region.

Mary starts each piece with a detailed sketch.

The sketch is transferred by means of carbon paper onto white pine boards. Carving is done by hand the old fashioned way, with mallet and chisels. Here's the carving in its infant stages. Some carving done, most of the drawing still visible on the surface.

Here’s a picture of the competed carving before any paint is applied. Shellac is applied to seal the knots or places in the carving where there is sap. This will keep the sap from bleeding through after the carving has been painted.

And finally, fast forwarding a bit, here’s a picture of the finished piece, entitled “Stacia’s Horse Barn.” It’s just one more in a series of pictures Mary has made inspired by upstate New York barns, each an original and unique piece of art.

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