By Bonnie Gangelfhoff
When Mary Scrimgeour was growing up, her family frequently visited small airports across the state of Ohio. Her father, an industrial designer who helped create the first space suit, shared his fondness for planes with Scrimgeour and her siblings. Today, flying machines of all varieties—planes, zeppelins, and even blimps—are reoccurring elements in her whimsical works. Like her father, Scrimgeour also has a fascination with the creative process. “I want to express the idea of invention on my canvases,” says the Colorado-based artist. “My father used to bring his work home and discuss it with us. It was thrilling to hear about his discoveries.”
In her playful paintings, Scrimgeour often builds up layers of information, sprinkling boldly colored canvases with images of her favorite things—from aircrafts to ice-cream cones to tools. Although she may turn to modern painters such as Wassily Kandinsky to get the creative juices flowing, it comes as no surprise that her main source of inspiration springs from Renaissance artist Leonardo da Vinci, an inventor with dreams of flying.
A former graphic designer, Scrimgeour studied art at the University of Colorado in Boulder. Her work is on view in a group show that opens on January 15 at the Foothills Art Center in Golden, CO. She is represented by Abend Gallery, Denver, CO, and Mullein Beautiful Home, Boulder, CO.
Featured in “Artist to Watch” January 2005