Mary Christiansen

Teaches at Brooklyn Botanic Garden

Mary Christiansen, a native of California, has resided in Manhattan since 1977 where she taught art at the Brearley School for twenty-nine years. She is presently an instructor in Botanical Art at the New York Botanical Garden. Always intrigued by nature, she painted landscapes since studying art in college. She came to the genre of botanical and natural science art relatively recently, and the slow, meditative pace, the intimate scale, and meticulous attention to detail suit her temperament perfectly. In executing her paintings, she is drawn to form and fascinated by the effects of light striking surface texture. Her most recent work concentrates on wading birds, ducks, and shore birds as these types of birds provide scope for the depiction of reflections, shadows, and light on water. She has exhibited her work in many juried group shows including the American Society of Botanical Artists exhibitions at the New York Horticultural Society and at the United States Botanic Garden in Washington, DC. Mary has earned both a Masters' degree from UCLA and a certificate in botanical art from the New York Botanical Garden.