Mary Whyte – författare

An artist's guide to creating expressively and living meaningfully "Being an artist is a joyful way of moving through the world and transcribing our experience for others to see and feel. Knowing what is essential to one's soul and finding one's true artistic voice is the catalyst and gateway to producing one's most meaningful works of art." —Mary Whyte, from the IntroductionDuring her fifty years as an artist and teacher, Mary Whyte has discovered that tapping our personal well of creativity and passion is the most important lesson—much more so than how to paint an eye or clouds or steam. In An Artist's Life, Whyte guides art makers and art lovers past stifling obstacles and self-doubts to see the world with fresh eyes and create their most original and expressive work. A touchstone for developing the habits we need to live our most creative, inspired, and meaningful life, artists of all kinds, as well as non-artists seeking a more creative and fulfilling life, will return to this transformative life-long art lesson again and again. Includes seventy of Whyte's acclaimed portraits and new, never-before-seen works.

Artist Mary Whyte's Down Bohicket Road includes two decades worth of watercolors�depicting a select group of Gullah women of Johns Island, South Carolina, and their stories. In 1991, following Whyte's recovery from a year of treatment for cancer, she and her husband moved to a small sea island near Charleston, seeking a new home where they could reinvent themselves far removed from the hectic pace of Philadelphia. In this remote corner of the South, Whyte first met Alfreda LaBoard and her devoted group of seniors who gathered weekly to make quilts, study the Bible, and socialize in a small rural church on Bohicket Road. Descendants of lowcountry slaves, these longtime residents of the island influenced Whyte's life and art in astonishing and unexpected ways. Whyte soon began a series of watercolors depicting these women, honoring their lives and their dedication to family and faith. As her friendships with these women grew, their matriarch Alfreda LaBoard claimed Whyte as her 'vanilla sister' Alfreda's World, a collection of Whyte's detailed watercolors and poignant recollections of the women at the senior center, was published a decade later, drawing attention and support from the community to the small church on Bohicket Road. Down Bohicket Road continues the story of Whyte's relationship with these extraordinary women, following the passing of Alfreda, against the backdrop of the ongoing commercial development of Johns Island. For Whyte, the heart of this community remains in the simple homes clustered along Bohicket Road, in the island�s winding tidal creeks, and in a small church where eighteen hardscrabble women gather in fellowship each week. In her book Whyte illustrates that both watercolors and friendships can be the unpredictable results of an abundance of blessings. As shared through touching words and vibrant paintings, Down Bohicket Road celebrates a unique way of coastal life and a remarkable friendship that transcends all barriers - even death itself - in praise of the unifying power of art. All royalties from the sale of this book benefit the Hebron Saint Francis Senior Center on Johns Island.

We the people-these words embody the ethos of what it means to be an American citizen. As individuals we are a tapestry of colors and creeds; united we are a nation committed to preserving our hard-earned freedom. In this heart-stirring collection of watercolor portraits of military veterans--one from each of the fifty states--artist Mary Whyte captures this ethos as well as the dedication, responsibility, and courage it takes to fulfill that promise.Those who raise their hands to serve may join for different reasons, but all-along with their families-make the extraordinary commitment to place the needs of the country before their own. Whyte gives us the opportunity to meet and to see some of them-to really see them. Whyte's portrait of America includes individuals from many walks of life, some still active duty, and from every branch: women and men, old and young, and from a wide swath of ethnicities, befitting our glorious melting pot. From a mayor to an astronaut, from a teacher to a garbage collector, from a business entrepreneur to someone who is homeless, Whyte renders their unique and exceptional lives with great care and gentle brush strokes.We the People is not only a tour across and through these vast United States, it is a tour through the heart and soul, the duty and the commitment of the people who protect not only our Constitution and our country but our very lives. We can only be deeply grateful, inspired, and humbled by all of them.