MOOSE MOUNTAIN PROVINCIAL PARK - Mary Mackenzie is from Calgary, and she will be attending the Artist Colony of Moose Mountain Provincial Park once again.
She is married to Hugh Mackenzie, and they have two children, now adults. Mike, their son, is married to Chris, and they have two children, Emma and Will. Their daughter Kate and her partner reside in Vancouver.
While growing up, Mackenzie loved to doddle and like most girls, she loved horses.
When she completed Grade 12, she went onto the Alberta College of Art. Her first year, she took a little bit of everything, but for the next three years would settle into graphic design.
They moved to Saskatoon, lived there for 24 years and raised their children.
Mackenzie is trained in graphic design illustration. She was a freelance instructor, creating interpretive signage, design work and murals.
“I did lots of fun stuff for the conversation agencies, like Meewasin Valley Authority and Ducks Unlimited,” said Mackenzie. “I did mostly watercolour, pen and ink, and the work usually detailed information on plants and animals in their environments.”
Her first visit to the Artist Colony was through her brother Kurk Seton. He had booked a cabin but was unable to attend, so he asked his sister to fill in for him.
Hanging her brother's art on one wall, Mackenzie hung her sketches on the other wall, and she loved the feel of the place. She now returns often.
The family owns a cabin in White Bear that was built by her father, and it has remained in the family.
Mackenzie loves to do abstract art and usually has four or five pieces on the go at one time.
Each piece varies on the layers.
“It is at least six or seven passes with paint or collage,” she said.
More detailed tweaks come near the end as she gets closer to the finished product.
She switches from a play mindset to a more thoughtful process with decision making.
Mackenzie is also a photographer and takes several photos of her surroundings, so she can create her pieces, as she does landscapes and scenery.
She loves nature, how it feels and smells, and how the wind creates a new picture, whether it is in the mountains or on the prairies.
Attending the colony from Aug. 8-14, she looks forward to showing her masterpieces and meeting the new people that will enter her cabin door.
