Sioux Falls, SD

“I am so lucky to have art. I literally started painting again and really creating art that I connect with after my eyesight failed. I want to share joy with everyone who sees my work!”

Beaming with brilliant color and organic shapes, Mary Payton’s art is a reflection of her unique neurological condition and her desire to bring beauty into new spaces. Born in West Chester, PA, Mary grew up alongside her grandmother who was a photographer and her mom who enjoyed painting. As Mary grew and experimented with her own art, it was met with acceptance and compliments from her family.

This support and interest in her craft led her to pursue Art Education at South Dakota State University, where she gained the foundation to teach others about the amazing benefits of creating. As an adult, Mary focused on building a career as a manager in the banking, business and medical sectors, as well as raising three wonderful children. When her own children were in school, she taught art after school to young kids in Sioux Falls. Art was a hobby and source of joy, but her career and family took precedence.

Mary’s life pivoted sharply in 2015, when an autoimmune disease attacked her body. As she fought to regain her wellbeing, she was left with a very rare neurological condition which affected her vision. Mary lost the ability to drive, walk unassisted in unfamiliar environments, and was left with chronic migraines. To afford medical care, Mary continued to fight to keep her full time job while adjusting to living with a disability.

While this change was deeply shocking and difficult to acclimate to, it also sparked creativity and inspiration. Mary was now seeing the world through a unique filter that only she could see. The distortion of her vision became the seedling of her new work. She shares, “The unique and beautiful way that my brain sees the world now has inspired my artwork to be more vibrant, joyful, and full of movement.”

This neurological condition led to a deep appreciation of creativity in her life. “I am literally living with an issue that is so pervasive. Painting and creating are a way to work out my feelings about the profound effects it has brought to my life”, she shares. Having art as an outlet has been key to her adjustment to her new way of living. Mary goes on to say, “Physically, it gives me time to not be working at trying to see. Emotionally, it gives me time to feel the thrill of producing something that I love!”

Mary’s artwork became deeply impacted by her eyesight. “My current work is focused on examining the unique way that the filter in my brain alters my vision. I am interested in trying to convey to the viewer how it feels to have so many visual disturbances.” The result are mixed media paintings that experiment with depth perception, floating objects, and layers upon layers of color. These are a reflection of Mary’s condition, combined with an infusion of joy and gratitude which she wishes to evoke.

Mary is also influenced by rich color, pattern, and the visible history of objects. She explains, “The history of objects is an obsession for me. I imagine what life this thing has had, where it existed, how it brought joy to someone's day, or was used. I want my paintings to be the same way, to show history, to give clues to their making. I hope for the viewer to find a connection, or see something they recognize.“

She enjoys mastering many media, so working with one influences another. She loves to experiment and work with unique materials, but the staples of her work are the use of vivid, saturated, color and pattern. She primarily works on canvas with pigment sticks, water-soluble pencils and crayons, oil and soft pastels, acrylic paint and ink, markers, powder and spray paint. Gold foil is also used to add extra surprise and pizzazz.

Mary calls her creation process “art math”, as it is a calculation that involves adding, subtracting, reducing and increasing elements of her work. She shares, “I actively add and remove paint, marks, and visual elements until I have a composition that I enjoy.” Her work is deeply layered, leading the viewer’s eye to move through various depths and values. Even with her signature pops of color, there are always softer hues and textures that compliment the composition and make it feel whole. Mary explains, “My style is very much about my vision, and my need to bring joy. The combination is bright, happy work, full of movement.”

Through the trials and tribulations of her life and experiences, Mary has learned that gratitude, joy, generosity, and perseverance are key to her wellbeing. These are also themes she aims to communicate in her work. She shares, “It is so humbling to put yourself into a piece of art and have it make a connection to someone who doesn't even know you. Beyond being compelled to create the work, I always hope to spread joy, and connection.”

Mary is thrilled to be an ArtLifting artist to spread her reach and be accepted despite her condition. She says, “As someone who is recently disabled, being a part of a team where that is celebrated is unusual. It feels like a dream to be included in this way.” She hopes the partnership will lead her perspective and art to be shared beyond her local community, and is excited to provide art for amazing spaces. While her eyesight and migraines may prevent her from being in the studio, she has a partner in ArtLifting who will continue to market her work even during a health crisis.

Mary’s most important accomplishment is raising three lovely, successful, compassionate children. When she isn’t creating, she and her husband love to pack up their two chihuahuas and spend the day searching for antiques. She also enjoys crocheting, writing, and watching home design shows.