Voices of Experience - Mary Jo Van Dell

Across 48 x 46” Oil © Mary Jo Van Dell

Mary Jo Van Dell carefully distills the raw northern plains landscape into its essence in her powerfully evocative paintings. Her images are created from years of hiking and exploring the land, experiencing the dramatic light and moods of her native Minnesota. We asked Van Dell to tell us about her evolution as an artist, her inspirations and her work processes. Van Dell is largely self-taught with works in the collections of the Minnesota Historical Society, the National Park Service and the U.S. State Department Art in Embassies program and a painting included in the 100 Years of Marine Art exhibition at the Minnesota Marine Museum. We asked her to begin by telling us about her creative background.