Mary Ann beats Rolf Harris to win national fine art award
May 19 2009 by Alastair Craig, The Journal
WILDLIFE watercolourist Mary Ann Rogers gave art icon Rolf Harris the brush off to win a national award.
The Northumberland-based painter has scooped an ‘Oscar’ of the arts world and became the first in the North East to take the top prize.
Each year the respected Fine Art Trade Guild brings together all sectors of the industry to celebrate its biggest successes and greatest achievements.
Mary Ann was singled out for the premiere award, Best Selling Published Artist, pushing popular Australian celebrity painter Harris into second place. Mary Ann, of West Woodburn, has won critical acclaim for her depictions of birds and farm animals.
“I always imagined that doing something that I really loved would be a hand to mouth existence, relying on a local market,” she said.
“So to be acknowledged as Best Selling Published Artist and find myself in such prestigious company is overwhelming.
“It shows that the birds and animals I love to paint are equally loved by the British public.”
Mary Ann has painted professionally for 21 years and her art has featured in television documentaries.
Her main inspiration comes from the hills and valleys of her native Northumberland, but she also makes regular visits to private bird collections and safari parks to capture more exotic subjects.
The mum-of-two, who grew up in Newcastle, shows her original paintings and prints at her studio near West Woodburn and her work has been displayed in galleries across the UK and as far afield as New York.
