"The frame is better than the painting!" Mary Lynne chuckled.
The painting she's humbly referring to is named "High Road Splendor" and is breathtaking. Hand carved and ornate, the frame is also lovely, and I can see in her eyes that it has special meaning to her, having been passed down from her father.
While many of the paintings displayed are her own, she also describes the works of other Northern Colorado painters and friends as we tour her beautiful home in Eaton. She purchased this house with us in January 2016 and it's been about a year since I last saw it. It's a distinguished contemporary home with beautiful tray ceilings and craftsman style trim, and she has done an excellent job projecting her personality into it. Her southwestern style is particularly evident in the finished basement, where her art studio is decorated with aztec patterned upholstery and paintings of cowboys with their horses on the New Mexico landscape.
Mary Lynne and "Break Time" at a workshop
"Break Time"
"Round 'Em Up"
Although Mary Lynne grew up in New Mexico, she recounts the cute little house her grandparents owned in Longmont and how much Northern Colorado has changed since then. After finishing college in Pueblo, Mary Lynne was a nurse for 36 years in Lamar, Colorado where she and her husband Leonard lived before moving to Eaton to be closer to two of their children. It was in Lamar that Mary Lynne took up painting classes as a social activity with her friends. Together, Mary Lynne and Leonard have two sons who live nearby in Northern Colorado, a daughter who lives in Oklahoma, five grandchildren and one great grandchild. Their two cats, Mary Cassatt and Georgia O'keeffe, are named after artists she admires.
Mary Lynne primarily uses oil paints, but does some watercolor and mixed media as well. Her biggest source of inspiration is places she has seen in her travels. Her artwork is currently on display in the Eaton Public Library gallery room until the end of September. All of the paintings featured there are for sale, ranging in price from $200-600. You can also see her artwork on her Facebook page, M L Pruett Art Studio, and you can contact her there to purchase her paintings.
"The Boss"
"Vintage Vessels"
"Sedona Country"
"Yesterday's Baby Gowns"
"Cimarron Canyon Gold"
