Meet Mara Wilson | Fine Artist and Mural Painter

We had the good fortune of connecting with Mara Wilson and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Mara, have there been any changes in how you think about work-life balance?
Work life balance is extremely important to me as someone who wants to be a working creative but also a present wife and mother for my family. When we had our daughter in 2016, I wanted to be a stay-at-home parent because I knew that she would only be little for such a short period of time, and I didn’t want to miss anything. I would work on commissioned portrait paintings part time to keep up some sort of an artistic practice. In 2021 after having our second born and living through a global pandemic, my work life balance began to change. I only did commissioned portraits from my house for many years, but I started to paint on the walls of our home during quarantine. I would post about my new artistic venture on social media sites, and started to get noticed for it. In 2022, my mural painting turned into a new profitable business. Now that my children are older, I am able to work more and feel that my work/life balance can shift so that I can grow my business. I believe we have different seasons in life, and there is constant change and evolvement that can happen through the years.

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
I think what sets me apart from others in the current mural market is my academic training. I am a classically trained oil painter, and my style tends to lend itself to being very detail oriented. One of my first mural projects was in a historic home built in 1889. I painted a full panoramic mural in the parlor of the house that matched the style of the Victorian home. I don’t think I would have been able to do that had I not been trained using traditional painting techniques. I am most proud of the fact that someone would trust me to paint on their walls to help bring their vision to life. The biggest lesson I have learned thus far in my journey is just to stay true to myself. By doing that, my artwork has been able to connect with a broader audience, and I have been able to personally connect with my clients. I am so excited to continue to meet new people and make a mark on new spaces.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
If my best friend were to come in for a visit in Knoxville, I would start off by welcoming them with a home cooked meal. My family and I love nothing more than to cook and break bread with the people we love. Following that we may hope on our boat for a ride on the Tennessee River where you can be one with nature while also taking in sites like Neyland Stadium and Thompson- Boling Arena. We may even be able to hop off the boat to attend an event! During the next few days, we would have to stop at The Sugar Queen Creamery in South Knoxville for an ice cream and to see one of the exterior murals I have painted on their building! I would be sure schedule a show at The Tennessee Theater as well as make some time to explore Market Square downtown!

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
My family and husband deserve a shoutout for always being in support of my creative side. My parents supported me when I decided to major in art in college as well as when I moved to Philadelphia to obtain my Masters of Fine Art at the Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Arts. Through it all, my husband also stuck by my side and continues to support me every step of the way.

Website: www.marawilsonart.com

Instagram: @marawilsonart

Image Credits
All are my images