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Mary Ellen Carsley is a scientific and botanical illustrator, as well as an art educator. A former practicing architect, she has illustrated eight books and numerous articles for national and international journals. Her works have been included in the collections of the National Building Museum and the Library of Congress.
She is a member of the Guild of Natural Science Illustrators, Maryland Federation of Art, The Art League at The Torpedo Factory, Washington Calligrapher's Guild, and Guild of Book Workers. |
Artist's Statement
The world can be overwhelming. People often feel lost, isolated, and disconnected. For me, the natural world has always grounded and inspired me, particularly the small universes within the natural world occupied by insects and plants. In the world of small things, I find comfort, balance, and clarity. That is what I hope to do with my art. Provide a lens into the small, intricate beauties of the tiny universes within the natural world around us. Like the weed breaking through the parking lot pavement that provides food for a tiny butterfly, there is reassurance and inspiration that amidst all human endeavors, that tiny nature not only perseveres, but thrives.
Teaching Philosophy
The studies of Art and Architecture serve a distinctly useful purpose in contemporary education, which all too often alienates the students from their own process and work. Academic study is too frequently relegated to the acquisition and refinement of specific technical skills. Often the idea of the aesthetic is itself reduced to an easily attainable and formulaic composition. If students fail to see themselves as true authors of their own work, if they cannot establish their spirit within that work, they will instead view their study as a process of mere impersonation. Art and architecture provide the unique opportunity for students to integrate their own sense of self into their work. These two unique disciplines require that students’ work is a direct product of their own creative spirit and authentic process.
The vitality of my own work is composed of a personal artistic will and a refined sense of architectural order. As an educator, I seek to inspire students to tap into the vitality of their own creative spirit and to frame that spirit in an understanding of the fundamental elements and principles of design. It is essential that students hone their minds, so that they temper and direct the passion of spirit. Students must also hone their eyes, so that they can recognize the beauty in other artists’ and designers’ work. Necessarily, students must also refine their technical ability to produce their own work. The pursuit of these refinements is spurred on by a student’s fascination with the aesthetic. As guide in this process, I have endeavored to ground my teaching upon three basic principles: consistency, clarity, and compassion.
Consistency begins with the environment for creative endeavors. This means creating a studio environment that is open and inclusive, embracing different points of view, sources of inspiration, and life experiences. Order, calm, and beauty not only in the environment, but in the course of business and in the manner in which ideas and works are presented, foster both physical and emotional comfort. This allows students to focus on challenging and honing their process. Within such an environment they are better able to open their minds to new works, new ideas and most especially to those voices right front of them in a shared journey of becoming better artists and designers.
Clarity, begins with learning to truly see. A student’s vision is honed by the opportunity to regularly draw in the studio. As their mentor, I design these opportunities to allow students to freely compose their work, but I ensure that their study is guided by sources of artistic wisdom: drawing from life, visualization exercises, as well as visual study and analysis of master works. One of the best ways I have found to demonstrate the value of drawing to my students is by sharing my own practice. The discipline of practice and quiet of the mind during the act of drawing also provides a clarity of thought in which students are better able to make connections and draw conclusions. This has a three fold result: students are better able to communicate their ideas visually, they become adept at feeding their own creativity, and they explore solutions to challenges with greater readiness and freedom.
Compassion, the ability to understand another’s perspective, is essential to the architect. A well- designed space must be a compassionate one, supporting and inspiring the human spirit. For the artist, it is compassion that gives work meaning on a broader scale. Within the studio environment, compassion is fostered through structured critique. Students grow their abilities through thoughtful, creative, and civil dialogue. With their mentor as guide, students are encouraged to articulate their process. Questioning is essential to compassionate learning. Students must question the diverse collection of artistic spirits and design processes that are present in the studio. It is not enough that studio has numerous independent minds, but those minds must interact and come to comprehend the fullness of each other’s process. In this way, the students come to understand themselves and their own creative process better by coming to understand others and their processes.
The habits of consistency, clarity, and compassion hone the mind, direct the spirit, and sharpen the vision and technique of students. The aim of such habits is to lead students beyond mere technical skill, but toward authentic artistic expression. In this way, they come to own their process and work. It is my hope that by guiding my students in this practice they come to view their creative process and endeavors not as “work” but as an essential part of who they are and are becoming.
The vitality of my own work is composed of a personal artistic will and a refined sense of architectural order. As an educator, I seek to inspire students to tap into the vitality of their own creative spirit and to frame that spirit in an understanding of the fundamental elements and principles of design. It is essential that students hone their minds, so that they temper and direct the passion of spirit. Students must also hone their eyes, so that they can recognize the beauty in other artists’ and designers’ work. Necessarily, students must also refine their technical ability to produce their own work. The pursuit of these refinements is spurred on by a student’s fascination with the aesthetic. As guide in this process, I have endeavored to ground my teaching upon three basic principles: consistency, clarity, and compassion.
Consistency begins with the environment for creative endeavors. This means creating a studio environment that is open and inclusive, embracing different points of view, sources of inspiration, and life experiences. Order, calm, and beauty not only in the environment, but in the course of business and in the manner in which ideas and works are presented, foster both physical and emotional comfort. This allows students to focus on challenging and honing their process. Within such an environment they are better able to open their minds to new works, new ideas and most especially to those voices right front of them in a shared journey of becoming better artists and designers.
Clarity, begins with learning to truly see. A student’s vision is honed by the opportunity to regularly draw in the studio. As their mentor, I design these opportunities to allow students to freely compose their work, but I ensure that their study is guided by sources of artistic wisdom: drawing from life, visualization exercises, as well as visual study and analysis of master works. One of the best ways I have found to demonstrate the value of drawing to my students is by sharing my own practice. The discipline of practice and quiet of the mind during the act of drawing also provides a clarity of thought in which students are better able to make connections and draw conclusions. This has a three fold result: students are better able to communicate their ideas visually, they become adept at feeding their own creativity, and they explore solutions to challenges with greater readiness and freedom.
Compassion, the ability to understand another’s perspective, is essential to the architect. A well- designed space must be a compassionate one, supporting and inspiring the human spirit. For the artist, it is compassion that gives work meaning on a broader scale. Within the studio environment, compassion is fostered through structured critique. Students grow their abilities through thoughtful, creative, and civil dialogue. With their mentor as guide, students are encouraged to articulate their process. Questioning is essential to compassionate learning. Students must question the diverse collection of artistic spirits and design processes that are present in the studio. It is not enough that studio has numerous independent minds, but those minds must interact and come to comprehend the fullness of each other’s process. In this way, the students come to understand themselves and their own creative process better by coming to understand others and their processes.
The habits of consistency, clarity, and compassion hone the mind, direct the spirit, and sharpen the vision and technique of students. The aim of such habits is to lead students beyond mere technical skill, but toward authentic artistic expression. In this way, they come to own their process and work. It is my hope that by guiding my students in this practice they come to view their creative process and endeavors not as “work” but as an essential part of who they are and are becoming.