Exhibit Featuring Artist Mary Knotts an Energetic Experiment
Kalispell artist Mary Knotts enjoys using the scenes in nature that she experiences while hiking, cycling and out in nature as the inspiration for her art.
A longtime resident of the Flathead, her love of the outdoors was first nurtured by roaming the hills and by-ways of her native West Virginia. The riotous colors of blooming wild Azaleas and Dogwood flowers have been replaced by the big blue skies of Montana and the breathtaking beauty of the trails in Glacier National Park.
Knotts’ love of the outdoors has influenced her work for her first-ever exhibition appropriately titled, Where I Live, A Montana Prospective. This exhibition at Phillips Gallery for November presents a series of views experienced by the artist in an energetic experiment with color, form, structure, and perspective using oil paint on canvas.
Like so many self-taught artists, she began drawing at an early age. After retirement as a personal trainer and wellness coach at The Summit, she felt it was time to return to her earlier passion in the arts. Knotts enrolled in art classes at Flathead Valley Community College with Susan Guthrie, a talented artist and instructor who was chosen by the state of Montana as Art Educator of the Year. The spark was re-ignited in Knotts, and she joined the Plein Air Artists of the Flathead. She loves the camaraderie of the local art community and the sharing of artistic objectives and approaches of these incredibly talented artists.
Knotts’ father always planted a large vegetable garden when she was growing up. She has fond memories of being asked to run out to the garden and pick some sweet corn and green beans for dinner. She still misses those juicy beefsteak tomatoes. Along with her love of art, she enjoys vegetable gardening, her beehive, and her large flower beds.
“I am blessed to live in such a natural abundance. Art is challenging, and I have developed a deep respect for the hard work and dedication of my fellow artists. I hope I can continue to grow and learn and never lose my awe of the vision that art and mother nature inspire. I hope you enjoy Montana from my perspective,” she said.
The Where I Live, A Montana Prospective exhibit will be on view throughout the month of November at Phillips Gallery located inside the Kalispell Center Mall. The gallery will be hosting an opening reception on First Friday, Nov. 3 from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. The artist will be talking about her work at 5:30 p.m. The public is invited to meet the artist during the reception.