Page 12 - Harnett Life Fall 2018

to say that she also enjoys “nonrepresentational abstract” more commissioned pieces, her most recent being a large
painting, too. “I kind of waver back and forth” between abstract painting done for Benson Area Medical Center.
the two, she said. Her love of figure work and portraits She’s also had some of her artwork displayed at The Cellar
came from her favorite artist John Singer Sargent, a distin- in Dunn, where there are still a few pieces being displayed
guished figurative and portrait painter from the mid-1800s. currently.
Out of all her paintings, Yates said her favorite creation is
a portrait of a man she saw in downtown Richmond, VA The beauty of her work comes from the intricacies of the
“and thought he was a really interesting subject.” She had brush strokes, the consideration put into where the paint
her brother take photos of the man for reference, and said should be applied to the canvas: the depth in the details of
“I knew he couldn’t have stood there for me to draw him” the portraits that bring them to life, the way the abstract
so using the photographs her brother took, after a couple pieces provoke thought because no matter what the work
months of work, the painting of ‘Ronald Reagan’ was com- is titled, its interpretation is subjective based on the person
plete. “I don’t think that’s his real name but that’s what he viewing it.
told me his name was,” she said laughingly.
Yates said initially she did not have a studio when she
Yates has been living in the area for around a year and moved from Virginia to North Carolina, and said “I don’t
a half, originally from Richmond, Virginia. Working as like the starting and stopping” that was involved with not
burgeoning artist in Richmond, Yates said “I started doing having a designated space to paint. “Once I get started, I
murals for people, and then portraits and things like that don’t want to stop, and once I stop it’s hard to get started
for people, and it kind of exploded from there.” She made again.” For her working professional name she lists ‘Mary
her way to North Carolina and the Dunn area in order to Ellen Yates,’ but likes to sign finished paintings under her
be closer to her fiancé, and they’ve been recently married. maiden name, Zacharias. A characteristically North Caro-
“My life is really starting to blossom here, I’m getting to linian structure now serves as her art studio: an old tobacco
know people,” she said and is looking to continue becom- barn behind her home gives her the space she needs to con-
ing more familiar with the area, meet new people, and ex- tinue creating her art and perfecting her craft.
pand her portfolio. Yates said she would love to take on

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