TRADITIONAL ARTIST- Ed Maryon

Ed Maryon (1931 – 2005)

“The ideas I strive for in my painting seem very evident in the work itself.  I enjoy subject matter for its own – whether it’s found in nature or our man-made environment.  But I also take pleasure in the ‘formal’ or abstract properties that exist in all subject matter.  Trying to resolve the problem of merging these two often-conflicting aspects is the interesting on-going challenge.”

“Each painting is an experiment in finding a way to give order to the shapes, colors, and textures that make up a particular image or painting motif.  It’s like piecing together a puzzle.”

“In teaching watercolor, I try to cover techniques of tone over tone, use of opaque and semi-opaque color, subtractive method, and controlled use of the pigment.  I purposefully spend a good part of my class time with projects that will benefit the illustration students and those who can utilize the medium in a very controlled manner.”

“I’ve read reputable books that explain how painting must proceed only from light colors to dark colors, and that once in place colors cannot be changed.  These are incorrect observations.  The medium [watercolor] is really quite flexible.”

“Although he maintains a rigorous, disciplined palette, his work has a serenity of color and design that follows facile control.  Seasonal moods, different times of the day, and varying emotional feelings come through.  Behind each piece is a somnolent glow like a stained glass window and simplification of design elements, which can be fairly abstract on occasion.” – George Dibble, Salt Lake Tribune (date unknown; ca. 1990)

“Ed’s paintings are always optimistic.  There’s no agenda, nothing morose about them.  He organizes the abstract and uses colors without reservation.  His paintings are unique from anyone else, and his influence is profound.” – Diana Gardiner

“A filigree of lines shoot across Ed’s watercolors, breaking them up into fascinating realistic and abstract designs.  It is so cleverly done that if each picture were divided into one-inch squares, dozens of superbly designed mini-paintings would result.” –Richar P. Christenson, Deseret News, 16 October 1983

“Serious drawing is an informal investigation of ideas, and an important part of the creative process.  That is where personal ideas and styles can develop most naturally.  I’m not talking about sketching, which can be a waster of time, but about serious probing of all kinds of ideas without the formality that a painting usually demands.  I like the idea of this “soliloquy” kind of process.