It was San Francisco based artist Mary Finlayson‘s copious use of dynamic colors that first captivated me. Since then, I’ve developed an obsession with her work. The former art educator and therapist looks for inspiration in homes that she visits or vignettes that she’s encountered. Back in her home studio, she starts her process by flattening a composition, modeled after a photograph or mental image, and then skews the objects Matisse-style and alters the colors with her unique, bold palette of acrylic and gouache. Mary’s ability to tell a story by way of her art is so enigmatic, it leaves me wanting to know more.

(Painted Mary prints $30)