ALTON - For Mary Kenney, painting isn’t just a hobby. It’s a lifeline.
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This month’s Milton Schoolhouse Artist of the Month explained that she began painting in high school. She soon realized that art is a part of who she is. Following a degree from Maryland Institute College of Art in Baltimore and a move to Alton, she is eager to show her work at Milton Schoolhouse as her debut to the Riverbend community.
“Painting is a necessity,” she said. “I’m one of those people that needs to paint. I’d go crazy if I didn’t.”
Kenney specializes in “a lot of mixed media, a lot of painting, a lot of color.” She has recently started painting houses in Alton and St. Louis after being inspired by the rooftop of a house in University City.
She also enjoys creating abstract art, which is usually borne out of strong emotions. She explained that she will take an image and “either devolve it or evolve it” to create an abstract painting.
The process of creating art starts with intentionality, Kenney believes. She aims to be genuine in everything she paints.
“The first step is showing up to the studio. Show up, work hard, tell the truth in your work. Honest painting,” she said. “At least for me personally, it has to come from the heart. I get into my studio and I’m looking at a canvas, and I decide on a color palette, and I decide if I want this to be nature, if I want this to be a home. That kind of dictates how I begin, and then I just go from there.”
Kenney explained that she participated in several shows during her twenties, but the Milton Schoolhouse Artist of the Month display is her first time showing her art in six years. While it’s “super nerve-wracking” to share her work with an audience, Kenney said it’s also been “incredibly satisfying” to receive positive feedback from Milton’s customers.
Meanwhile, she has a lot of projects she is currently working on. There are several nature photos on her phone that she hopes to paint in the coming months. Painting homes and houses has been a lot of fun, and she wants to take more commissions for home paintings in the future.
She is also looking to collaborate with other artists. Kenney moved to Alton in the last year and has loved “the river and the hills and the history.” She hopes to work with more local artists going forward, especially after making her debut at Milton Schoolhouse.
“It’s been a lovely community to get to know,” she said. “This is kind of my coming out party, and now I’d really like to venture further into the scene…Hopefully the people of Alton will see me out and about from here on out.”
Painting and showing her art has been a rewarding experience, and Kenney looks to do more of both going forward. As she wraps up her month at Milton Schoolhouse, she is proud of the work she has done and the decision to share it with the community.
“It feels more like myself,” she said.
Visit her website at MKKenneyArt.com to view her work, or contact Kenney at 262-395-9478 to inquire about commissions and collaborations. She said she is more than willing to bargain or offer discounts for her paintings.
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