“I am inspired by every painting that I complete.”
Maryneil Dance is a fourth generation daughter of the Texas Hill Country, for which she developed a deep connection that’s illustrated in her artwork. Before devoting her time to visual art, Maryneil enjoyed an award-winning 25-year career as an interior designer and retail store owner. Operating primarily in Dallas, Houston, and Austin, she is credited with creating the quaint and cozy aesthetic known as “Texas Country French.”
After returning to the Hill Country, Maryneil devoted her time to capture the scenic beauty of the land and the mystic elegance of its animals in her current chosen medium of pastel. She is also adept in watercolor, oil, and handmade paper collage. Her influencers, which are evident in the emotional landscapes she creates, include Albert Handell, Dawn Emerson, Hill Country artist”s Denise Mahlke, Gordon Fowler and western and Equine painter John Fawcett. However, Maryneil credits her late Aunt Sissy as being her primary influence. She was an equestrian and animal handler, showing horses and dogs professionally all her life.
“My focus is on landscape and animal art. I live on a Texas ranch that has beautiful hills, natural streams, longhorns, horses, donkeys, sheep, and dogs that have become my subject matter. When painting wildlife, I sometimes find myself absorbed into the spirit of this creature. I can be a very moving experience.”
“By painting “en plein air” has also been an excellent way for me to expand my creativity. It may come with some challenges, but I can see and feel the atmosphere at that exact time of day and bring it to the painting. Colors are never captured as well with a photo lens.”
“Recently I have been experimenting with watercolor backgrounds and incorporating them into my subject. It is a fascinating practice, and I love the results.” Maryneil goes on to say.
“I painted in watercolor from the start of my career, then decided to expand my horizons when I moved from the city. I also love oil painting, particularly the buttery texture of it; but I have fallen for pastel. Pastel chalk is very tactile. You can move it around the canvas, layer and highlight it. It lends itself perfectly to the soft coats of animals. Pastel colors are brilliant as they are pure paint pigment, they truly enhance the beautiful landscapes and animals that are my subjects. I am inspired by every painting that I complete.”
Now retired, Maryneil has found peace living and painting on her Texas Ranch. “I feel as though God speaks through me in every painting I create. I love bringing out the personality of the animals I portray, and I feel honored to reproduce this beautiful landscape God has created for us to enjoy.”
Maryneil and her husband Tom live and paint on their ranch in Fredericksburg, Texas.
Professional Associations:
- International Pastel Society
- Pastel Society of America Associate
- Austin Pastel Society
- Die Kunstler Von Fredericksburg (The Artists of Fredericksburg)
Featured Artist in Residence at RS Hanna Gallery, Fredericksburg, Texas
2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018