The miracle of color is a testament to the diverse, precise, and ever surprising beauty of the primal imagination.  The intense precision of the first artist glows forth in the rich colors of creation.  —John O’Donohue, Irish philosopher and poet

To explore the creative origins of Mary Fatimah Weening’s abstract and representational art is to begin at a moment of freedom – a gift of mysterious origin but one that is nonetheless hers, with no linear constraints, in an open space that is free of encumbrance. Once in this sacred place, the landscapes begin to burst forth on the canvas: from radiant expanses at a shoreline to where a thick forest suddenly becomes a field of swaying wheat grass.

For Weening, who lives with her husband Noah Ginty and her dog Percy in Unionville, the role of her work as an oil and watercolor artist is to create an unspoken language meant to capture the spirit of place through color, form and texture. Many of her paintings have their initial start when working plein air style outdoors and are completed in her Unionville art studio.  

“Working from both memory and direct observation, I focus on points of transformation in nature,” she said. “These points are visual representations of inner transformation. Whenever possible, I work directly outside in plein air style for both my abstract and representational works. This allows me to see subtle changes in light and form throughout the day and observe directly from the landscape.  

“I seek to convey the simultaneous emotions of peace and elation that I experience as the undercurrent of nature.”

Weening, who is also a licensed acupuncturist at her company, The Present Sage Acupuncture in Unionville, often sees the purpose of her occupation dovetail with her art.

“I am primarily a colorist, and I love the emotional response we get from color, and whatever emotions come out from being in nature, they are both expansive and healing,” she said. “Healing has always been imprinted in me as part of my journey and my path, and in my artistic work, much of it is meant to heal – whether its expressing joy or grief. It comes from a depth within me, and my hope is to elicit an emotion in those who see each painting – to convey the simultaneous emotions of peace and elation that I experience as the undercurrent of nature. 

“I am looking to convey possibility and reverence through the lens of landscape and the abstraction of form.”

To learn more about the artistic work of Mary Fatimah Weening and view her abstract oil, plein air and watercolor paintings, visit www.maryfatimah.com.

Photos by Jie Deng
Text by Richard L. Gaw