We recently connected with Mary Frances Millet and have shared our conversation below.

Mary Frances , appreciate you joining us today. Do you think your parents have had a meaningful impact on you and your journey?

I’m the product of two very forward thinking people who encouraged my creativity beyond the scope of most parents in the 70s. They let me paint a huge 6 foot banana on the inside of the garage door, a 3 foot rose on my bedroom wall which my mother wallpapered around with matching wallpaper. They also let me paint a mural in the hallway of our home. I didn’t realize it at the time but they were paving the way to creating a very adventurous soul. My father in particular was interested in every project I did, even accompanying me to various mural projects I was working on in the Capital District of NY. I’ve had a brush in my hand for as long as I remember. I was given art classes in a gallery where my mother worked at the age of 8 and continued at several classes to learn oil painting as I grew older, schlepped to them by my folks. When I wanted to be a fashion designer after designing and sewing many of my own clothes taught by my quilter mother, they took me to FIT in NYC. Although I did not get in, the experience of being so supported was imprinted on me. They also fostered a love of travel by many family vacations. By the time I left home at 18 I had developed into a person with no fear. In fact, my philosophy to this day is “ leap and the net will appear. “

As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?

I’m a 70s child. My formative years were surrounded by social change, loud colors, flower power and Soul Train!
Combine that with parents who encouraged my creativity and you have someone who tries everything from painting in watercolors and making my own jewelry to teaching others the concept of being brave too. When I coach people in my watercolor classes, I allow them to veer off into their own groove, rather than strictly following my instruction.
After college and a career in Occupational Therapy while painting all the time, I started coaching people in watercolor. I have held classes at many venues all over the Capital District. I am not a typical instructor. I’d rather see you discover your own voice than be a carbon copy of my work. My art heroes are many: two of which are Charles Reid of the purposely loose and sloppy watercolors and Karen Rosasco, AWS who taught me watercolor and continues to inspire me with her mixed media creations.
The other product I offer is my upcycled paper jewelry. The whole eco-friendly movement was not lost on me. When I heard about Rachel Carson’s Silent Spring, it set off in me a desire to help conserve our resources to this day. I love creating jewelry with found objects and any kind of paper from old books and magazines to my own cut up watercolors. I’m a garage saler and a lover of creating something from what looks like trash.
I’m very proud of my fearless approach to art and not being tied to one kind of medium. I’ve painted on silk scarves for a while. I’m also proud of a venture I took on in 2017. I wrote and illustrated coloring books on the History of Schenectady, my hometown and the History of Saratoga Springs. I love my town and the inventions it’s famous for. It’s currently for sale on Amazon and the Schenectady Trading Co.
It is my profound honor to pass this on to people wanting to see the world through the eyes of an artist… and to become one themselves.

Is there something you think non-creatives will struggle to understand about your journey as a creative?

I don’t believe one is born an artist. I think it’s a result of environment and practice. To say someone is “talented” means they’ve practiced for a very long time and have become skilled, not necessarily that they’ve come with the equipment to create. “ Artist eyes” are made when one opens one’s eyes to really see the details of our world, not just whizzing by to get to the next destination.

What’s a lesson you had to unlearn and what’s the backstory?

A lesson I’ve had to unlearn is about my journey as a watercolorist is its unwillingness to do your bidding. . I am far from a pro but I love the fact that watercolor is a free thinker. Trained in oils and acrylics in my younger years, I always thought paint was what you put on paper, reworking it until you are satisfied with the result. Not so with watercolor. You have to embrace its stubbornness to succumb to you. I’ve come to love its unpredictability and spontaneity. For example, blooms are when you drop water into already painted areas and the paint wicks away in wonderful ways, creating textures and interest you couldn’t have created on your own. Or throwing salt on a watercolor and watching the fireworks explode. It’s a life philosophy a friend of mine said about tech people: they just keep pressing buttons until something happens. Watercolor is dropping dots of paint on water to see the chemical reaction between water, paint and paper. It’s taking yourself out of the equation and letting something else guide your brush, be it a higher power or the watercolor gods.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://Maryfrancesmillet.com
• Instagram: @maryfrancesmillet
• Facebook: Mary Frances Millet
• Other: Currently working on more YouTube videos and classes.

Image Credits

All art and photos are produced by myself.