~About Mary~
Mary was born and raised in Saginaw, Michigan & grew up in a farming community
where every other person was family. Mary's grandfather had 8 children and was the
youngest of 8 children; one of her uncle’s had 8 children, her mother was the youngest
of 8 children & her father was also from a family of 8. With all of these family members
there was always someone watching over her. Although she loves her family ties, Mary
eventually had to leave the small community in order to “find herself”.

In Elementary School, Mary looked forward to her one hour art class each Friday.
In order to participate & enjoy that hour she was required to maintain good grades
and her homework had to be completed. Mary was always looking for extra credits
at school: clay, cloth, paper cutting, painting, and many unusual materials would turn
up in a 3-D map. That way she could create something unique. Her science
projects were dynamic as her creative mind was obsessed with brilliant
colors and hand-built 3-D images.

When Mary was a sophomore, she approached the principal of her
High School (Dr. Bowden) and pounded on his desk stating "This school offers me
nothing – we need an art teacher”. The following year he hired Janet Leach who was
an Art major and English minor. Janet became Mary’s best friend. Things took off
for Mary. Janet obtained an exhibit for Mary as a Special Art Student in order to
display her work at the Delta College in Saginaw. After being Janet’s art student
for only one year, Mary was offered the opportunity to display her sculptures, oil
paintings, water colors and pencil drawings in a full window display at the College.
She was then acknowledged by Janet’s professor of Art at that College.

Mary studied at the Saginaw Institute of Arts for three years where she had the opportunity
to work directly with artists using different mediums: metal sculpting, charcoal drawing,
drawing from models, drawing from still life, oils, acrylics and water colors.

Tribute for inspiration to artists is as far removed as: Claude Monet and Georgia O’Keefe;
which clearly shows up in her works that are light and airy, stippled, and would resemble
something with a Monet flavor; and the close-up detailed intense colored pieces, similar to
the style of Georgia O’Keefe.

Mary started painting when she was 8 years old and at that age she received 1ST PLACE
in a WNEM TV Channel 5 Saginaw, Michigan sponsored art competition. Since that time
Mary has been painting and teaching, continually, for the past 21 years; and also spent 5
years doing juried art shows across the State of Florida.

Mary’s favorite subject material is endangered animals. Of these are the rhino “Kifaru”,
done on cold press water color paper (40x30); the mountain gorilla “Silverback”,
done on cold press water color paper (30x40); and the African elephant “Simba”,
done on cold press water color paper (30x40). All three of these watercolor paintings
were done using only 4 pigments!

Mary also loves to paint wildlife in unusual, and many times 'close-up', poses. “Pam”, the
packman frog from South America and “Nile Crocodile”, from Africa, are examples of
this unique style. Under water scenes include: “Bring in the Clowns”, the clown fish swimming
in sea anemone, and “Leatherback”, the sea turtle. Brilliant birds include: “Toucan”,
from Brazil, as well as “White Birds” and “Yellow Birds”, birds of Paradise batiks on rice
paper, each 36 x24. (Visit Mary's Online Gallery to see these amazing works & to purchase
available Originals & Giclees.)

Mary’s goal is to assist in developing “right-brain” skills in every student because, through art
work, every barrier is broken. Minds seem to mesh, the socio-economics and ethnic divisions
disappear, people start coming in to an area of “being” where they have not been before; the
“artist being”. Students then appreciate what they are doing and acknowledge each other's
creation while everyone’s confidence is being built. She strives to identify and fulfill the learning
needs of all those who are interested in learning to create art and have art become a part of
their life. They could be 10 years old or 90, it makes no difference. Mary’s idea of teaching is to
provide HANDS-ON instruction to all, and especially students whose art departments have
been cut, home-schooled students, people from different cultures and all walks of life. Everyone
has the ability to be involved in art, all that is required is DESIRE...and from there Mary can give
them all the tools they will need to make that a reality; there are no prerequisites.
(See the Classes page fore more information)

Mary derives her greatest joy when one of her students stands back in awe of the amazing art
work they have just completed after having believed they never had the skill to create art in the
first place. A good deal of her students have gone on to show their work competitively across
Hernando and Pinellas county as well as to become professional artists themselves.

Some of Mary’s students have been under her instruction for many years, continuing weekly
classes at her studio “The Artists Creative Center” in St Petersburg FL. New students are
always made very welcome here. Some students who have very tight schedules prefer one-day
seminars, where they complete an entire project in that one day (Saturdays only). This might fall
under the realm of watercolor, watercolor over texture medium, prisma color pencil,
batik on rice paper or hand painted silk. (See the Seminars page for more information.)

Mary's studio has a very warm and comfortable atmosphere. As you step in you smell the aroma
of gourmet coffees and teas served along with great music. An extensive library of art books &
reference material line the wall. Supplies for every type of project that she teaches are available
to purchase directly at the studio. Mary prides herself in the ability to teach many different styles
using color, brush stroke, texture and various types of paper. Students have access to develop
not only their own style but also the subject matter of their choice.Mary had this to say about her
own work:“I know, the moment I see something that interests me, that “I will have to paint that!”
Or occasionally,“That is meant to be done in prisma color!!” and it will not let me rest until I
create it! I love to pull out a new sheet of 300 pound, extra white, Fabriano, watercolor paper,
and feel the texture, see the luminosity...everything about it, even the smell of it is an absolute joy!
I use the finest quality papers and pigments; pigments that are pure, intense and extremely well
ground. I never recommend “student grade” for any of my students, (except perhaps my five year
old grand son!) I want my students to have a wonderful experience, not hours of frustration due to
inferior products. Students tend to blame themselves for lack of ability even if the problem is
because the tools are inferior quality & therefore simply do not behave as my professional
g rade materials do.

The past five years of my painting evolution have been exciting as I discovered some new and
very interesting pigments, they are even American made! These colors are made with
semi-precious gems, Lapis Lazuli, from Asia Minor, Sodalite from Greenland, Hematite from
Utah, Rhodonite from Germany, (a few of these stones found their way into the Queens crown
or so I have been told) Tigers eye from Burma, turquoise blue shade from the Sleeping Beauty
mine in Arizona and Turquoise green shade from the Kingman mines in our own USA. A newer
one I found, that was popular from the Egyptian Dynasty, comes from a mineral called Smaltite,
which is a form of glass. The color named Smalt, is in the cobalt family, and is very transparent,
thus great for washes over a staining color that will not lift. How wonderful to find these, as well
as some duo-chrome pigments, (a pigment that appears as two different colors depending on the
angle of your view) to increase my challenge in watercolor; yet another opportunity for growth!

It is my favorite style to start very loose and flowing, using only three to four pigment colors to plan
the entire project. My over-all plan nearly always a diagonal flow with very high contrast that tends to
morph a little as I progress. I like to choose one very unique pigment for each project and subtly
incorporate it into the painting so that only another artist might notice; and as a painting progresses,
some very sharp detail that can only be seen up close, that way I always have a storey to tell!"

~Honors and Awards~
WNEM Channel 5 Saginaw Michigan (sponsored art competition: 1st Place
Mixed media, one woman show sponsored by Delta College, Midland, MI

Silver Medallion, awarded by Grumbacher, Inc., New York, NY

Private Reception Show, Gallery Belleair, Belleair Bluffs, FL

Certificate of Appreciation and Special Merit, All Children’s Hospital Art
Show/Auction, St. Petersburg, FL

Special purchase awards from Leesburg, Florida “Arts in the Gardens” Show

Three Purchase Awards, Florida Art Festival, Melbourne, Fl

~Galleries and Affiliations and Corporate Sponsors~
Paradise Gallery, West Palm Beach, FL
The Gallery of Crawley Square, Miami Beach, FL
Fine Art Sales, Park West at Sea, Miami FL – 6,000 limited editions SOLD
Don Cesar Fine Arts Gallery, Passe a Grille, FL
First Impressions, Inc., Palm Harbor, FL
Colonnade Arts, Clearwater, FL
The Frame Designers, St. Petersburg, FL
Fripp Arts Gallery, Fripp Island, SC
Ken Hawk Gallery, Hyde Park, FL
Nuance Galleries, Tampa, FL
Florida Art and Frame, Boca Raton, FL
The Annual Artistic Waters – a Florida Collector’s Art Show - sponsored by
the Florida Aquarium, Tampa, FL
CASA Benefit Auction – sponsored by Mary Henderson
Artrageous Framing Studios, Pinellas Park, FL
NCNB now Bank of America
Nationwide Insurance
Creative World Incorporated – owned by Martin F. Webber

And finally, Mary feels greatly honored to be represented by Mr. A Amidimehr
owner of the prestigious
“Firehouse Gallery”
Located at 818 Highland Ave, Dunedin, FL (727) 738-8120.
This is the only Gallery in the Tampa Bay area, were you can see
Mary's fabulous originals for yourself.