Shields III

Born in San Jose, CA, Mary Alice Copp is compelled by line, color and form. Copp paints vibrant, abstract and geometric compositions in oil on canvas and paper. Her subjects vary between landscapes, portraiture, and design/pattern, yet each composition is driven by her exploration of color, shape, and form.

Copp is inspired by the “decorative use of repetitive patterns in Native American Art, African textiles and New Guinean shields,” and says that “each painting is a color puzzle.” As such, she plays with perspective and evolves simple geometry, color, and line into compositions full of movement, layers, and perspective shifts - resulting in a stimulating visual experience.

Copp earned her BA in Art at CA State University, Chico. She was an Artist in Residence at Lowell House at Harvard College, her work has been shown in solo and group exhibitions across the US, and has been collected by major corporate, public, and private institutions.

The artist believes that a visual image is part of a universal language, which like Jazz, can connect us across time and distance.