Meet Mary James Ketch | Artist

We had the good fortune of connecting with Mary James Ketch and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Mary James, can you walk us through the thought-process of starting your business?
I think a lot of artists would just like to be “discovered” and have someone else handle all the sales, marketing, etc. But I’ve seen time and again that if you want something to happen, you have to make it happen.

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
I didn’t set out to be a professional artist. I set out to make myself happy and that is still my guiding light. My process is still very intuitive. The main question is whether I like something or not – a line, a color, a subject. But with time I’ve learned that there is probably going to be a point in the middle of a painting where it’s just a mess and I don’t like it. I’ve learned to trust that part of the process too, and know that I’ll make it though.

People often ask what inspires me, but it’s generally whatever is foremost in my mind. My father died in 2022 and so I created a series of paintings called “Father & Child” that are abstract figurative works featuring fathers and kids. Right now, I’m getting to release a collection of paintings of abstract landscapes called “Rooted” which are inspired by my daily walks through the woods.

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
I got a lot of encouragement from Minted. They had a much larger reach than I did, and seeing that other people wanted my work went a long way in encouraging me to take charge of my own work.

Website: www.maryjamesketch.com

Instagram: @maryjamesketch

Image Credits
Shevaun Williams