Artist Statement

Ungilding the Lily:

Ridgefield, Connecticut based artist, Meredith Mulhearn, has been using the artistic process to push the boundaries of traditional botanical illustration. Meredith has had a lifelong passion for art, and began feverishly creating from the moment she could grasp a crayon. In fact, her pediatrician foretold Meredith’s future as an artist, based on her fine motor skills as a young child.

Meredith works in a variety of media, allowing each subject to speak to her individually. In particular, she utilizes unconventional combinations and experimental materials, such at thrown pigment powder and glass fragments. Her work combines structured elements with controlled chaos, mimicking the balance of mathematical and random elements found in nature.

Yet Meredith’s work is not simply about the final product. Her background as an art therapist guides her attention to the art making process. As such, Meredith harnesses the inherently therapeutic benefits of the artistic process, using freeing active movement and precise, methodical rendering to evoke a feeling of control. In this way, Meredith’s artwork is not about creating a product with mass appeal, but rather, immersing herself in a process that feeds the soul.

Meredith’s current focus explores the significance of form. Honoring her appreciation of botanical illustration, Meredith is inspired by the inherent beauty present in the natural environment, but seeks to elucidate the often-overlooked beauty of form. Stripping away color and pattern, Meredith “ungilds the lily” and encourages the viewer to explore this often under-appreciated aspect of nature.

Meredith graduated cum laude from Wake Forest University with a major in studio art and a minor in art history. Additionally, she studied botanical illustration at the New York Botanical Gardens. She holds an MA in Art Therapy from New York University. Meredith is a Resident Artist of the RPAC Art Center & Gallery and a member of the Ridgefield Guild of Artists.