Artist Profile: Mary Beth Cornelius

Non-Objective Abstract Paintings

By Heike Hellmann-Brown

Gestural Abstraction or Action Painting is associated with the Abstract Expressionism movement of the late 1940s, 1950s and 1960s and artists like Jackson Pollock, Willem de Kooning and Franz Kline. Their energetic techniques included dripping, dabbing, smearing, and even flinging paint onto the canvas, directed by the artists sense of control interacting with chance or random occurrences.

I am influenced a lot by my surroundings and the joy they bring me, explains artist Mary Beth Cornelius. My work comes straight out of my emotions, or is inspired by travels, books, or music. I love Maine for instance; the color of the sea, the rocks, the landscape dictates the direction of a piece, but the energy comes from the music I listen to while painting.

Originally from Macon, GA, Cornelius obtained a degree in Electrical Engineering and worked for 10 years in the oil and power industry. As a hobby she took up stained glass art, a technique she also taught. Later she attended watercolor classes, but still felt she hadnt found what she was seeking. After moving to Alpharetta in 1998, Cornelius continued taking classes in composition, color theory, and drawing, but it wasnt until she started to paint in acrylics that she knew she had found what she had long been looking for. Painting with the acrylic medium lets me be less contemplative and much more gestural, the artist notes.

With a preset idea for a color palette Cornelius paints with expressive brushstrokes and then uses palette knives, carving tools, paper and sandpaper to create surface texture and color variations. My art reflects where I am in life. I relish the energy and rawness of the first courageous lines and shapes on a blank canvas. But its the layers of paint that express my journey. My paintings are both fresh and full of history, energetic and experienced a constant flux of responsiveness and structure, chaos and harmony.

Cornelius joined several art organizations and entered juried shows. Encouraged by the response, she started displaying her work in local galleries. People always ask how long it takes to create a piece. It is not just the actual creation developing a technique takes years. While I create spontaneously, I need to be disciplined to create effectively. No one is suddenly successful. You need to put in 10,000 hours in the background, and then be courageous to seize opportunities. I have a saying tacked up in my studio, No Art for Chickens! This started at a workshop in Florida. We would paint all day and have round table discussions about the days accomplishments, observations, and discoveries. I wanted to be bold and daring in my artistic process, yet I often held back when the inner critic spoke up. Then one of the artists in the group sent up an encouraging and lighthearted No art for chickens! This has become my working mantra, my reminder to be courageous in this artistic endeavor.

MaryBethCornelius.com