Mary O’Malley’s Decorative Flora and Fauna

by Philip Dennis
While Mary O’Malley is obviously deeply inspired by nature, she also mentions ancient and modern decorative arts, architecture, and textile patterns as some of her inspirations.

I could look her work forever, but it’s no wonder with it being so easy to get lost in amongst her detailed foliage and lacy flowers. Highlights of gold from the metallic ink she uses gleam out from some pieces, while others are diligently rendered in monochrome on black paper.

Mary completed her MA at the Painting School of Visual Arts in New York and is currently teaching at the DeCordova Museum School in Lincoln, Massachusetts. She has had various solo exhibitions in the US, most recently at the Pacific Design Center in Los Angeles. She has also been gaining recognition for her hard work, winning a number of awards, including both the People’s Choice and the Critic’s Choices awards at the Boston Art Awards.