Mary Rountree Moore

About Me

My intense love of colors found in nature is a driving force that compels me to paint. I have a keen interest in the natural order found in the landscape, and am fascinated by the effect of the changing seasons. I like to push the boundaries of realism into abstraction, as my compositions move from loose realism to abstraction. A confident painterly style, identifiable as my own, binds the body of work.

A strong creative spirit permeates all of my life; making art has interested me for as long as I can remember. I have found inspiration in studying the works of de Kooning, Diebenkorn, John Singer Sargent, and Joaquin Sorolla, to name just of few of the artists I enjoy. I love to travel the U.S. and Europe to discover new inspiration, although I am always drawn back to the salt marshes of the southeast.

I am a native of Greensboro, NC. After graduating from Grimsley High School in 1964, Saint Mary’s College in 1966, and then UNC-CH in 1968, I began my career as a fashion designer in NYC where I lived for 5 years. I moved to my current home in Chapel Hill in 1973, continuing in sportswear design, and in 1990 became the Design Coordinator for Vietri, Inc. I returned to NYC in 1997 and attended the National Academy School of Fine Arts. I finally made painting my major creative focus full time in 1998.