Mary Jane Volkmann Fine Art

Born and raised in Cleveland, Ohio, Mary Jane Volkmann studied art education at university before traveling in 1974 to southern Africa where she remained to live and work for 28 years. Her artistic career has included commissions as varied as art workshops, portraits of an African king, coin designs, seven issues of postage stamps (three of which have won world awards), book illustrations, greeting card designs, murals and paintings for private collectors. A commissioned book, “Glimpses of Namibian Life: A Moment in Time” consisting of 30 of her paintings depicting life in Namibia among the native peoples of the country and authored by her was published in 1997. Active in the community, Mary Jane co-founded an educational and charitable trust in northern Namibia with a regional center for the development and marketing of Namibian arts. She has continued painting and teaching art workshops after relocating with her family to Gainesville, Florida, in 2002. A signature member of Plein Air Florida, Mary Jane takes part in selected plein air events, and in 2006 was selected as Artist in Residence, Sapelo Island, for the Georgia State Parks. Mary Jane’s paintings have been exhibited at museums and private galleries overseas and in the USA and can be found in private and corporate collections.

 

Mary Jane Volkmann: Statement

“I’ve been told I’m a lyrical painter. That statement makes me smile, because whether a painting stems from watching a bird land on a twisted branch or from observing golden grass wave musically on a warm afternoon, I wonder at the metaphors of spirit which seem to reflect themselves in everything I see. As an artist and as a person I am captivated by the diverse sea of faces and lifestyles in our human family and I am humbled by the exquisite beauty of the natural world which supports us and is entrusted to our care. My paintings are my explorations, my questions, my meditations and my contemplations.”