We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Mary English. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Mary below.
Hi Mary, thanks for joining us today. Can you talk to us about a project that’s meant a lot to you?
Once a year I run a “Random Act of Kindness” campaign where my collectors have the opportunity to share my artwork with someone they care about. I create a series of prints of my work and then contact each collector and ask them to share the details of someone that they want to send a random act of kindness to and why. They share the most incredible stories of people who have helped them that year, people who have pushed through struggles, people who they know will appreciate a surprise in the mail or send a reminder that they are being thought of by others.
This campaign started organically when I was moving from Ireland to the USA in 2019. I had a lot of canvases, paintings, prints and more all stuffed into my Dublin apartment, and with a move across the pond I knew I couldn’t bring it all with me. I hated the idea of my art sitting in storage – art is meant to be seen! I first started to reach out to friends and family and ask them what artworks they would like to “take care of” for me while I moved to America. Then I reached out to collectors, asking them if there was anyone in their lives who might appreciate adding a splash of colour and fun to their walls. The response was incredible – and I was able to close out my studio space in Dublin knowing that my art would bring people a little bit of joy hanging on their walls.
Fast forward three years and this has become an annual campaign – usually in November aligning with Thanksgiving in my new home of the USA. I reach out to my collectors and ask them who they would like to send a random act of kindness.
One particular serendipitous moment came from the “Random Act of Kindness” campaign this year. I was asked to send a piece called “STRONG” to a woman in Virginia who had recently lost her mother. Alongside the fine art print I included bespoke packaging that included an introduction to me as an artist – my name is Mary, I am from Cork, Ireland and I am now living in Washington DC, USA, etc….. Little did we know, the woman’s mother was also called Mary, and her mother had emigrated from Cork, Ireland to Washington DC in the USA. When this woman received the artwork, she was overwhelmed by the connection the artwork truly had to her mother, a connection that neither I nor the collector who nominated her to receive the piece were aware of. It was a great reminder of the power of art and how it can connect us to one another in ways we could never imagine.
I am so grateful to have collectors invest in my artwork, support the creative process and experience the joy of original and unique artworks in their spaces. This initiative is my way to give back to my collectors, to share my work with someone who matters to those who have invested in me so that they too can experience the joy that comes with sharing art.
Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers.
Who am I?
I am a self-taught contemporary artist from Ireland, now living in Washington DC. Having lived and worked in Dublin, London, Lyon and now Washington DC, I have seen the world through the eyes of a native, an immigrant and a visitor – and this changing perspective is what inspires my artwork.
What is my mission for my artwork?
My mission is to bring art to life – getting art out of studios and into homes and spaces for all to see. I believe your space is a reflection of you, and it plays a big role in your life – adding art makes living more joyful and sparks conversation with others. My artwork seeks to do just that, it acts as a prompt for colourful debate and inquisition. What you see or feel in my work changes over time depending on your perspective, your mood, the lighting and location. It can mean many things to different people, and that is one of the greatest impacts my artwork has – it sparks something unique in each person who sees it.
Where did you get the name ” Rue Franklin Studio”?
In 2019 I started the Rue Franklin Studio as a means of bringing my art to a wider audience. People often wonder where the studio name came from – it is very much reflective of my time between Europe and America. I loved my time living in France as an Erasmus student, and when I was setting up the studio I was in the process of moving to America. Prior to moving I took a trip to Paris, and standing on a street just off the Champs- Élysées I saw some really cool buildings that looked so different to the surrounding boulevard. The street was called “Rue Benjamin Franklin” – “Rue” being the french word for “Street”, was juxtaposed against a very American “Benjamin Franklin”, a former US President after which the street was named. I thought this was a great reflection of two countries coming together, and also mimicked my own move across the Atlantic too – bridging Europe and America. I shortened it to Rue Franklin – and that has been the studio name ever since.
What art do you create?
I create large works on canvas – the bigger the better! I am a mixed-media artist, using acrylics and spray paints as my base, and then adding in anything that will bring texture – glass beads, sculptural plaster, pumice stones, gels, pastes, stencils etc. My work is abstract in nature and full of vibrant colour. I primarily work on a commission basis, and all my commissions come through word of mouth – from one collector to the next. This is an aspect of my work that I am most proud of, the art really does to all the talking! I have recently introduces smaller fine art prints to my artistic offering, which I produce limited quantities of twice a year.
Can you tell me more about the commission process?
I really enjoy doing commissioned work, and I take great joy in bringing the collector along for the ride. When it comes to abstract artwork like mine, there is no sure or exact final product that you can plan. The art will reveal itself on the canvas over time. I start each commission session with a consultation – ideally in person – where I can sit down with the collector in their space and better understand what they are looking to capture on the canvas. We discuss colours, inspirations, life stories or memories that they want me to reflect within the piece. We take measurements and pictures of the space and I take into account their interior design, their furnishings and finishisings, how they use the space etc. This all gets compiled into a summary document that proposes multiple canvas and display options tailored to their space, a final moodboard of colours, tools to be used, and transparent upfront pricing options. The the canvas journey can then begin. It can take between 1-2 months to create a commission depending on the size of the canvas – but I keep collectors updated throughout with photos and timelapse videos of their canvas coming to life, bit by bit, layer by layer.
Is there something you think non-creatives will struggle to understand about your journey as a creative?
I think this is something that we might all struggle with – creatives and non-creatives alike – and thats appreciating that art is a business too. I believe that providing creativity or artwork is a service – and should be treated the same as any other service you seek out and pay for. I have been in the situations where I am asked to do my work for free, or have been looked at with wide eyes if I put together a proposal in response to an ask. It took me a while to realize the difference between a great opportunity for exposure versus someone taking advantage of a creative and not paying them. The moment I put value on my time, experience and materials and could clearly articulate what I was bringing to the table the better the results I got. Non-creatives should keep this in mind – if you are asking someone to come in and provide a mural, or artwork or creative experience for your business that is a service you are seeking out, not a favour!
In the same way, it is is on us as creatives to be prepared with a professional business front. There is so much more that goes into being an artist than painting, in fact painting probably takes me the least amount of time. Much of the weeks are taken up with inventory management – which piece is at which gallery, which piece has been sold and needs to be shipping, are marketing materials up to date, etc. etc. These are all elements needed to bring your art out under the right eyes. Business owners respect business minds. With my background in the corporate consulting world, I come with a very fine tuned business mindset which has really stood to me in my artistic endeavours. Artists are also entrepreneurs – and the sooner we embrace that the better outcomes we will all have.
What do you find most rewarding about being a creative?
The act of creating is in and itself rewarding – but I just LOVE when I get to share that with someone else. I have had some of the most interesting conversations, debates, insights and moments with people when we discuss my art and its meaning. I love seeing how their minds work, how their perspective on the world can lead them to see something totally different to what I may see. Art is to be seen and shared, and while I love the creative process, I even more enjoy seeing others interact with it.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.ruefranklinart.com
- Instagram: @RueFranklinArt
- Youtube: www.youtube.com/@ruefranklinart