About
MaryLou Wakefield is a contemporary abstract artist who works primarily in painting and print making. Her work draws inspiration from wild landscapes, architectural forms and contemporary design. MaryLou’s work is an expression of something intangible, the underlying, or the hidden, that which cannot be easily described with words. Her work is layered with interesting, one-of-a-kind marks, bold, rich colour and textures derived from collage, gestural writing and print making techniques.
MaryLou grew up in North Vancouver and enjoyed a magical childhood wandering freely in wild landscapes in her neighbourhood and the wider community. Professionally, she worked as a writer/editor for more than 30 years, crafting stories that focused on the art of ‘show don’t tell’. The unique visual language she creates in her abstract paintings tells a similar story. MaryLou has taught calligraphy for many years and more recently a ‘Markmaking with Handmade Brushes’ workshop for arts organizations and at the Metchosin International Summer School of the Arts (MISSA) on Vancouver Island.
MaryLou lives, and works from her home studio on Vancouver Island, British Columbia. She has participated in art residencies in Victoria, on the Gulf Islands and in Mexico. Her paintings and prints have been exhibited in galleries in Victoria, Vancouver, and New York. Her work is held in private collections around the world.
EXHIBITIONS
Victoria Arts Council Small Gems Show, December 2022 - January, 2023, Group Exhibition
Oak Bay Community Artists Studio Exhibition, November 5 and 6, 2022. Private exhibition.
Art Gallery of Greater Victoria, Small Works Show and Sale, Nov 2022 - Jan 2023, Group Exhibition
Art Gallery of Greater Victoria, Small Works Show and Sale, June - August, 2022, Group Exhibition
Oak Bay Community Artists Exhibition, April, 2022, Group Exhibition.
Sub Text Metchosin Art Pod, April, 2022. Juror’s Choice Award. Group Exhibition, April, 2022.
Landward New works painted in the time of Covid. Errant Art Space, Victoria, BC Exhibition w/ Kathy Guthrie, November 2021.
Sooke Fine Arts Show Sooke Fine Arts Society, July 2021. Group Exhibition
Summer Small Works Show and Sale Art Gallery of Greater Victoria, June 2021 Acrylic painting. Group Exhibition
Small Works Exhibition, Victoria Print Society, Solar plate print, 2020. Group Exhibition
Beyond the Archive, GroundZero Printmakers, Feb, 2020. Solar plate print. Group Exhibition
Forged Arc.Hive Artist Run Centre, May 2019. Ink paintings with hand made tools. Group Exhibition
Winter Small Works Art Gallery of Greater Victoria, Nov. 2019. Mark making with ink and hand made tools. Group Exhibition
Solar Impressions Southhampton Arts Centre, Sag Harbour, New York, Nov. 2019. Group Exhibition
In Light of Winter Zebra Arts Collective, Chapel Gallery, Nov. 2019. Acrylic paintings. Group Exhibition
Curriculum Vitae
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EDUCATION
2021 Lewis Noble - Online Abstraction painting
2020-2021 Louise Fletcher - Online Abstraction painting
2019 - 2020 Artists’ Mentorship Program, arc.hive Artist-Run Centre, Victoria, B.C
2018 - 2019 Artists’ Mentorship Program, arc.hive Artist-Run Centre, Victoria, B.C
2019 Solar Printmaking Intensive, Metchosin International Summer School of the Arts (MISSA), Metchosin
2020 Painting Intensive, Vancouver Island Art Workshops, Cedar, B.C.
2016 - 2020 Drawing and Painting specialization, Vancouver Island School of Art, Victoria, B.C.
1989 - present Private calligraphy instruction, workshops and conferences, Fairbank Calligraphy Society, Victoria,
1983 Marketing Management, British Columbia Institute of Technology, Burnaby, B.C.
1978 Bachelor of Arts, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, B.C.
EXHIBITIONS
2020 Beyond the Archive, Ground Zero Printmakers, Victoria Arts Council, Victoria, B.C., group
exhibition
2020 Fairfield Artists Studio Tour, Zebra Art Collective, Victoria, B.C., group exhibition
2019 Solar Impressions, International juried printmaking exhibition, Southampton Arts Centre, New York group exhibition.
2019 In Light of Winter, Zebra Art Collective, Chapel Gallery, Victoria, B.C., group exhibition
2019 Winter Small Works, juried exhibition, Art Gallery of Greater Victoria, Victoria, B.C., group exhibition
2019 Small Gems, Victoria Arts Council, Victoria, B.C., group exhibition
2018 Forged, arc.hive Artist-Run Centre, Victoria, B.C, group exhibition
PRESENTATIONS
2022 Fairbank Calligraphy Society, The Influence of Calligraphy on Abstract Painting, March, 2022
2021 Sooke Fine Arts Show, Sooke Fine Arts Society, Abstract Painting in Acrylic. July 2021.
MEDIA
January 2020 The Amazing Journey of a MISSA student GoWestShore magazine, Victoria, B.C. January, 2020
Visit https://documentcloud.adobe.com/link/track?uri=urn%3Aaaid%3Ascds%3AUS%3A6ca6be96-8e1d-4be3-ab96-0ebdb7db384d to read the full article.
COMMISSIONS
2020 Canyon of Steel, acrylic on canvas, 18 inches x 24 inches. Victoria, B.C.
2021 Let’s take the long way around, acrylic on canvas, 48 inches x 36 inches. Victoria, B.C.