About Mary C Stiner

Mary C. Stiner is both an artist and a professional archaeologist who lives in Tucson, Arizona. This site page is dedicated exclusively to her artwork, particularly watercolors produced since 2014. Her painting methods use a combination of translucent and opaque techniques on commercial and handmade papers and clay board. Her watercolor paintings tend to present representational or semi-representation images in unconventional ways. Her compositions are often multi-scalar, with an emphasis on texture at close range and broader viewpoints from afar. The subject matter stems from her abiding interesting in natural structures and processes and variations in human culture and disappearing technologies.

Stiner holds a college degree in Fine Arts (BFA) from the University of Delaware 1980. Her other undergraduate, and graduate, degrees are in Anthropology (Archaeology), culminating with a PhD in 1990. Her artistic abilities were apparent from an early age and benefited tremendously from her mother’s encouragement and experience (her mother was a commercial artist). While in high school, Stiner apprenticed with Mitch Lyons (http://www.brackers.com/mitch-lyons-workshop-at-the-lawrence-arts-center/), the ceramic artist and clay mono-printer. She continued her training in studio arts at the University of Delaware, specializing there in oil painting and ceramic sculpture. Stephen Tanis (http://www.stephentanis.com/), professor of painting at UD (retired), has been particularly influential teacher. She also studied under Victor Spinski (https://craftcouncil.org/post/remembering-victor-spinski), a ceramic sculptor in the UD art program. All of these individuals were important influences; that of Steve Tanis is most apparent in her approach to painting. Stiner’s ceramic skills have centered on hand-built pieces and raku firing methods. She also has experience in drawing, print-making, bone carving, jewelry making, and cartooning.