Altamira Fine Art in Jackson Hole, WY is pleased to present an exhibition of new work by Mary Roberson May 26-June 9, 2026. 

Please join us for the Artist Reception on Friday, May 29nd from 5-7pm.

Nature Heals

“Much of my creative process is about simplicity; to be so inspired by the complexity of nature, and to find a way to depict that inspiration in the simplest statement I can.” – Mary Roberson

For Mary Roberson, being one with nature is not a choice, its simply reality. Her deep connection to the animals she paints is intrinsic and her instinct to protect all wildlife comes naturally.  “I have a deep reverence for nature. I’ve stopped traffic so that a snake wouldn’t be run over, just as instinctively as I would rescue a child.”, Roberson says.

Wired toward realism but enamored with abstraction, Roberson begins by laying down texture, arriving at the subject matter last. Her lively brushwork and thick strokes give her canvases a sense of wilderness and earth. The built -up layers lend a depth to the environment from which the animals emerge. Some compositions change drastically over the course of a piece’s completion.  “My creative process begins with walks by the Wood River near my home. Much of the creative process happens seemingly on accident; recently I was moving some canvases out of my way, one of which I’d been sanding and layering over a period of years. I found a photograph of a painting I’d done thirty years ago. In passing, I folded the top border and hung it on the layered canvas I’d just uncovered. Later, when I glimpsed over at it from a viewing distance, I couldn’t take my eyes off it. It will be unlike any painting I’ve ever done in its simplicity, and I can’t wait to see where it takes me.”, Roberson says.  This type of spontaneous ingenuity is common for Roberson, and she describes it as a process that just takes over; the creativity runs through her much like the river she walks so often.

Mary Roberson was born in 1948 in Fort Smith, Arkansas. She studied at the Chouinard Art Institute and the Otis Art Institute, both in Los Angeles. Roberson has captured the attention of private collectors and museums alike. Her painting, “The Mystic Forest” is in the permanent collection of the National Museum of Wildlife Art. Roberson resides in Hailey, Idaho.

Pre-sales are available. Contact the gallery for details, 307-739-4700/ connect@altamiraart.com.