Mary Katherine Solberg

Traditional portraiture takes on an ethereal interpretation with the incorporation of gold leaf and various other media including plaster, oil, acrylics, beeswax, layers of varnish, gems and glitter. Her signature technique produces a highly textured masterful portrait with surprising depth and luminescence.

The art incorporates aspects of religious iconography, classical realism, and her own unique style to create the large-scale paintings she refers to as everyday icons, she pulls inspiration from contemporary work influenced by religious imagery, the masters, vintage postcards, and graphics.

Mary’s icon portraits focus on a single character to capture moments of triumph, transition, enlightenment, and serenity. Dogs leap for balls, squirrels clutch their prize candy corn and swimmers savor the aquatic life, each in their own way achieving transcendence.