Camp Verde artist Mary Rush paints both abstracts and colorful landscapes while outdoors in nature, valuing the process of painting itself and the self fulfillment she receives from it.
Originally from Elkhart, Ind., Rush said that her earliest memory of being creative was drawing a perfect red circle on the green wall of her bedroom at age three.
During a high school art class, Rush painted her trees purple, much to the dismay of her teacher. For most of her 20s, she added, she switched to crafts such as sewing.
When she was 28, she moved to Connecticut, where she was inspired by an exercise in the book “The Artist’s Way” by Julia Cameron, and went on to write three pages of stream-of-consciousness thoughts every morning for three years.
“While doing this, it bubbled up that I had to paint,” Rush said.
She went to Home Depot, bought a large sheet of masonite and started painting in her basement with house paint.
“It was so cathartic,” Rush said. “I was practically running around the basement looking for things to put on my painting and gluing stuff on.”
She said that she felt so happy when she finished painting the piece that she wanted to share that feeling with other people and teach them. She later came to describe this approach to painting as “split splat,” and went on to offer classes in it for several years.
Although she said she was not drawn to the idea of art school for a long time, Rush decided to attend classes after what she called 10 years of wild woman painting. After she tried to paint a frog on a lily pad and couldn’t get it right, she decided it was time to go to art school.
Before moving to the Southwest, Rush primarily painted abstracts.
“Once I got to the Southwest, I just fell in love with the landscape,” Rush said.
She landed in Silver City, N.M., where she lived for six years, taking art courses and showing her art in galleries. She then moved to Sedona and then Camp Verde. In Sedona, she led a series of Sedona Art Hikes, through which she organized groups to paint in nature. Rush said she was hiking Bell Rock when she walked around the corner and the words “bring the painters” came to her.
Prior to painting en plein air, Rush had painted landscapes from photographs she took while hiking. She now primarily paints her landscapes while outdoors.
“It’s just such a glorious experience,” Rush said. “When you’re outside it’s a whole different immersive experience… It’s a constant questioning, searching, seeing and trying to translate it onto the canvas as best you can.”
She added that her paintings done outside are much more alive and authentic to the experience she had while painting them.
“I love to work in series because I like to investigate stuff,” Rush said. “By doing a series, you can grab on to an idea and do six or eight paintings or more, and by the end of it you’ve expressed the idea.” R
ush is a fan of artist Helen Frankenthaler and wanted to do a series of paintings inspired by Frankenthaler’s technique. This effort led to her “De Fleurs” series, which consists of 12 abstract paintings of flowers. Each one involved pouring paint in the shape of a flower.
Rush said that she has been influenced by the abstract expressionists, as well as painters like Paul Gauguin and Henri Matisse who focused on color, and Wassily Kandinsky in her early years.
She explained that she enjoys the freedom of process painting provides and varying her style, valuing authentic expression as opposed to realism.
“I’ve recently discovered that when I paint, I feel accomplished, like I’ve done something meaningful and productive,” Rush said. “It’s fulfilling something important inside me. It feels like a workout of my mind, body and spirit all in one. It’s my purpose and job to paint.”
Rush has also spearheaded the recently-formed group Camp Verde Artists, which is intended to bring local artists together to inspire one another and create a thriving art scene.
“Having an art scene for an artist locally is really important,” Rush said. “You need like-minded people surrounding you, because artists have a different way of thinking and looking at life.”
The group is limited to artists living in Camp Verde. Those interested in joining can visit their Facebook group Camp Verde Artists.
“One of the joys of painting is selling the work to someone who appreciates it,” Rush said. “Hearing how the painting makes them smile or brings joy to their heart and home makes painting a worthwhile pursuit.”
Rush’s paintings will be on display alongside those of six other artists from the Camp Verde Artists group at the Camp Verde Community Library from April 15 through July 15.
