Mary Anna Brown

Mixed Media

A person with long hair is standing in a booth displaying artwork. The booth has paintings and a sign that reads "Mary Anna Brown Mixed Media." The person is wearing a brown jacket, a patterned scarf, and a yellow dress. The background shows various colorful artworks and a table with art supplies.

About the Artist

Working predominantly with collage, drawing, and painting, Mary Anna Brown is a mixed media artist based in Huntsville, AL who graduated from the University of Alabama,Tuscaloosa with a degree in art history (BA in 2003; MA in 2008).  Being a visual artist was not part of her original plan as she saw herself as more of an appreciator of the visual arts and its history.  It wasn’t until just a few years ago, in 2020, that she discovered her true passion lies in the creative process.    

Brown, born in 1981 in Tuscumbia, AL takes much of her inspiration from time spent with her maternal grandmother during childhood. Flipping through the glossy pages of her grandmother’s magazines and cutting out paper dolls from Sears and JCPenney catalogs were experiences that nurtured her love of utilizing found imagery and collage in her work. Using vintage print media layered beneath painted images of mid-century domestic architecture, her work invites the viewer to look beyond the painted image to see beneath the surface where there may be observed a bit of nostalgia, family life, and even humor. 

Her retro-inspired mixed media pieces have been seen in a variety of venues throughout Alabama  She participates in juried festivals such as the Kentuck Festival of the Arts (Tuscaloosa) where she won a Merit Award in 2024 as well as group shows such as the Carnegie Art Center’s (Decatur) “Embracing Art” exhibition where she was the recipient of the 2024 Director’s Choice Award. She also had a solo show in 2024, “Close To Home,” at Alabama A&M where she currently serves as an adjunct faculty member. 

Process Statement

My mixed media work begins with a drawing of a mid-century house that is based on an actual retro house plan. This is worked out on a separate sheet of paper, allowing me to make edits and use the design or portions of the design in subsequent artworks. I then select images from vintage print media sources, creating a collaged background. One of the things that has always endeared me to collage work is the limitless possibilities that exist when you remove image and text from their original contexts. I find I most often displace the two in order to create humorous situations or wordplay. 

After the collage has been planned out, I attach it to a canvas or wood panel and it becomes the background of the piece. Using a tinted gesso wash, I add some painterly drips to provide an additional layer. The unpredictable nature of the drips provides some contrast to the characteristically straight, clean lines of the architectural drawing. I then transfer the drawing to the canvas, outline it with waterproof ink, and add paint. I cut tiny flowers from vintage fabrics to add an extra textural element to the landscaping. The final step is to apply a sealant to the work to protect the collage elements, ink, and paint.