Gazing upon the works of artist Mary Joan Hinson, one wants to ask: How did she develop her talent? How did she learn to do this?
Hinson took painting lessons as a small child, developing a love of oils and the unique pigments they offered. Her early teachers gave her an appreciation of art, often asking her to create class presentations.
“Ms. Breslin gave me countless sheets of colored construction paper, which I used into my high school years!” Hinson said, speaking of her fifth-grade teacher, Alma Breslin.
Hinson continued her studies into adulthood in the United States, Europe and the Far East, immersing herself in the cultures and the stimulation they provided.
Studying in Europe, with the work of masters such as Botticelli and Michelangelo in close gaze, opened her eyes to the importance of technique and craftsmanship.
After returning to the United States, she became a professor of fine arts and humanities at Florida State College at Jacksonville, where the same learned qualities of technique and craftsmanship were taught.
In 2005, she received her Ph.D. and continued to teach and exhibit throughout the eastern United States. 2020 brought a change, however, when she decided to focus solely on her artistic endeavors, and since has produced large-scale murals on the NAS Navy base and in the neighborhood of St. Nicholas. She also had a solo exhibition at the Goodyear Cottage of the Jekyll Island Resort, the Beaches Fine Arts Series and the Jacksonville International Airport Haskell Gallery.
Her love of animals began as a small child, as she always raised a hand to volunteer to take care of the classroom hamster! With that said, drawing and painting animals was a natural outpouring of a caring established early on.
Every work is approached as engaging with something very precious; emotions and memories become introspective reflections of a time passed. The drawings are slow and labored, approached with a delicate touch in the knowledge that she is dealing with a cherished pet. The paintings are a bit freer, and she allows the paint to tell the story of inner strength, loyalty and love.
Hinson accepts commissions for studio work and murals. She may be contacted at 904-315-2777 or brushandoil@gmail.com.
