Mary Kay Anderson, Decorative Painter |
What is your craft? Decorative painting. How long have you been doing it? 37 years. Who/What inspired you to learn this craft? The person who inspired me the most was my father. He is an oil painter who continues to paint at the age of 88. He gave me several pieces of slate, which I moved around for years, and that is what I first started painting on.  Mary Kay believes the value of heritage crafts must be communicated so they will be passed on to the next generation. She often represents Heritage at community events What is the name of your business/studio? Where is it located? What hours are you open? How can people contact you about your work? The name of my business is M. Kay Designs. It’s located at 401 Morgan Grove Road, Shepherdstown, WV 25443. You can contact me at 304/261-0660, or email mkaydesigns@frontiernet.net. The hours of operation are upon request. What are some of the things you make? Decorative painting is an art form that utilizes a variety of techniques and media to decorate both functional and non-functional surfaces. For example, I painted a primitive scene on an old ironing board, and I’m working on an old dough riser that will have Santas all around it. My husband grew a whole bunch of gourds one year, and I have turned them into Santas. I also love to paint on furniture. What is your favorite/most unique thing to make? Some of my favorite things to paint are the primitive styles and a variety of flowers, such as poinsettias, roses, and garden themes. What awards have you won? I have not received any awards; however, an achievement I’m especially proud of was teaching my original designs at two Decorative Painting Conventions, one in New England and the other in Ohio. Twelve years ago my dream came true when I was able to help form a Decorative Painting Chapter in the Tri State Area. The chapter meets every month and has a membership of 60. What is the most challenging aspect of your craft? Definitely designing original .patterns. Over the last 5 years, I have started to create some of my own designs. It’s something that takes a lot of time, but it’s very rewarding when completed. What is the most satisfying aspect of your craft? The most satisfying aspect is that I can paint on almost anything; therefore, I love looking for surfaces that create a challenge. I love to find old pieces and bring them back to life, making them some one’s treasure. What responsibilities/special projects have you worked on for Heritage? I have helped with the ecorating of the display area and window design. I have also taught watercolor and acrylic classes. What other activities are you involved with? I teach swimming at War Memorial Park, and I enjoy round dancing with my husband, gardening, camping in our fifth wheeler, and special times with my three children and seven grandchildren. Do you have any goals or aspirations for the future related to your craft? Future goals are to design more original art and to broaden my teaching to other areas Why are you interested in preserving the heritage crafts? The heritage crafts will die if they are not shared. It would be disappointing to see what our ancestors worked so hard on developing and preserving not to be shared with our children and grandchildren. We need to communicate the value of heritage crafts to our children so they can in turn pass them to the next generation, just as they were passed to us. |
 Flowers are a favorite subject for Mary Kay. “The Rose” was the subject of her most recent Heritage water color class.
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