Meet MaryK Weeks

We were lucky to catch up with MaryK Weeks recently and have shared our conversation below.

MaryK, we’re thrilled to have you sharing your thoughts and lessons with our community. So, for folks who are at a stage in their life or career where they are trying to be more resilient, can you share where you get your resilience from?

All the credit for fielding life’s curveballs belongs to: my creative spirit, a network of devoted friends and colleagues, remarkable healthcare professionals, members of the Nia community, and the animals for whom I serve as caretaker. A sense of humor shared with my sister helps too. A series of health adversities spanning several years turned my life upside down. Most devastating of these were a stroke and traumatic brain injury. Thanks to my perseverance in rebuilding a meaningful life, I continue to move forward despite remaining challenges.

Thanks for sharing that. So, before we get any further into our conversation, can you tell our readers a bit about yourself and what you’re working on?

As a visual artist, I specialize in encaustic, acrylic and mixed media. Throughout my former career as a Spanish and Art teacher in New York State and Pennsylvania, I exhibited my work regularly in group as well as solo exhibits. Currently I dedicate myself to an art practice that incorporates continued exploration of methods and materials with fulfilling show opportunities. As co-founder with Mary Wheeler of Women Artist Community (WAC) of the Capital Region, I advocate for the advancement of the powerful vision of self-identifying female artists.

In a spirit of magic and play, nature’s rhythms are interwoven in a dance of color and symbol in my imagery. Intuitive marks represent energies emanating from the Earth. Multi-layered compositions resonate with influences of the visionary art movement. Imagined characters and natural settings emerge from a perspective formed by combining goddess research and myth, with walking the land for many years with my dogs.

After participating in three recent group shows, twenty-five of my works in a variety of media will appear in an upcoming solo exhibition. The pieces will be installed this January and featured for six months at the offices of Chat Speech in Guilderland, NY.

Looking back, what do you think were the three qualities, skills, or areas of knowledge that were most impactful in your journey? What advice do you have for folks who are early in their journey in terms of how they can best develop or improve on these?

Staying focused on broadening my horizons, as inspired by my teachers, allowed me to pursue studies in both Spain and Mexico. Cultural immersion and a passion for other languages have been key to my life’s work. A strong belief in the value of professional development: study, practice, application of new skills, and sharing with others has been a vital component in my evolution. I would advise anyone on this path to actively pursue education, and to understand that artistic growth is not a race. Respect the unique pace of your journey, practice self-reflection and maintain intellectual curiosity for what inspires and motivates you.

As we end our chat, is there a book you can leave people with that’s been meaningful to you and your development?

The Power of Myth by Joseph Campbell was first introduced to me by my graduate professor, painter and mentor Dale Witherow. I subsequently read several other books by Campbell- they provided a framework by which I was able to understand my work. The Heroine’s Journey by Maureen Murdock, and
Women Who Run With The Wolves by Clarissa Pinkola Estés were published in the fertile period of goddess empowerment literature in the ’80’s and ’90’s. Dovetailing with Campbell, these tomes made an indelible impact on the development of my artistic voice. The writings gave structure and meaning to symbol, archetypes and story depicted in my images. Their references to the rich tradition and history of feminine power provided me encouragement for unapologetic self-expression.

Contact Info:

• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/marykweeks
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/maryk.weeks
• Other: www.marykweeks.substack.com

Image Credits

MaryK Weeks