Artist Statement

Pillow Fort | Portraits by Mary Wendel

A pillow fort can be any place that allows you to think and process, being surrounded by things you love that inspire you or maybe just a familiar atmosphere reflecting abstract thoughts. Wendel paints portraits of people, often herself and other fellow Austinites, in spaces like this.

Whether it’s a self portrait surrounded by her cat’s toe beans or a tiny intimate sketch of Sandro Cocco working in his violin studio, Wendel wants viewers to tap into the strength and safety of the creative space where difficult emotions are welcome and great ideas flourish, contemplating their own pillow forts.

To prepare for a painting, Wendel will typically meet her model for a photoshoot at their home or favorite spot in town sight unseen, to be candid, to find the subject in it.  She is personally drawn to oddities and vintage finds. Sometimes she will arrange these and other ordinary objects around the model to create a sort of nest, or in her mind, a pillow fort. She then creates her paintings based on these reference photos. Other times Wendel will paint from life which she believes is essential in capturing a sense of atmosphere in her work. The vintage palette found throughout Wendel’s paintings is rooted in her love of antique malls and thrift stores combined with the warmth found in the old masters’ portraits. Wendel will paint in many layers to achieve a fine detail while leaving other areas loose with plenty of movement. She wants people to feel a sense of space in her paintings and enjoy candor in the setting of the work.

Wendel grew up in a small town in the hill country outside of San Antonio, Texas. Surrounded by scrub cedar trees, she and her sister turned an old greenhouse into their first art studio, painting black and white checkers on the floor. Early on Wendel had a private painting mentor who taught her the basics of oil painting and ended up having a great influence on her future. She moved to Austin in 2012, continuing her artistic career.