Endico Biography

Mary selfie Warwick Dog Park, 2022/05/06
Mary Endico selfie Warwick Dog Park, 05/06/2022

Click for 1 page printable narrative bio

ENDICO haute conduite non-objective paintings are included in the permanent collections of the Asheville Museum of Art, the Kentucky Art Museum, and the Chester Historical Society as well as public and private collections throughout the United States and 21 countries worldwide. This is not surprising considering the quality and character of her work.

The image at left links to an extra large example of Mary's haute conduite style of watercolor which is often mistaken for acrylic but is actually pure aqueous watercolor and is on permanent exhibition in Sugar Loaf, NY.

In fact due to her precise mastery of the medium many of her paintings in all styles might be mistaken for acrylic, but they are not.

If you have a fast Internet connection click the image to view a extra large image showing more detail of Mary Endico's handling of watercolor and brush stroke. It is best viewed by opening it in an image editing program such as Photoshop, because your browser may distort color and aspect ratio making it grungy and squashed.

In fact, no digital or print medium can do any more than vaguely approximate the rich dynamic content of the original. Drop by the studio for proof.

Mary is the progenitor of the haute conduite style of watercolor art, and her web site (that you are now viewing), provides samples of Mary's work categorized by paintings that are currently available for purchase, those already acquired by permanent museum collections, plus those existing in private collections or those saved and selected for viewing in her online archives.

Mary Endico's award winning watercolors push the limits of color, design and perspective, as they often remain stripped of objective content. As such they present to the viewer a natural gateway and insight into the basic metaphors of conscious aesthetic.

After 17 years working as a full time professional artist, using traditional translucent technique, Mary embarked on a journey to combine the studio practices of oil and acrylics (such as scumbling, dragging and rubbing) into her established wet-on-wet watercolor process while retaining pure aqueous materials. In the years since, she has succeeded in enriching the syntax and pushing the boundaries of the watercolor lexicon.

She states, "I choose wet-on-wet watercolor technique as my primary medium because of its dynamic and exciting nature—immediate and unforgiving. As soon as the water is applied the stopwatch is triggered. Then every stroke counts against you. Mistakes cannot be re-worked or edited, so careful pre-planning is a must. It is satisfying to succeed with colors that are crisp, clean and unmuddied, which maintains the composition’s integrity and, at the same time, expands the watercolor word-stock."

All Endico originals are painted using museum quality materials and conservation technique to insure the work will survive generations.

Mary Endico has been a professional watercolorist for nearly a half century.

In 2001 the National Watercolor Society elected Mary to signature membership. She is included in Who's Who in America and Who's Who in American Women. Mary graduated from Boston University in 1976 with a Bachelor of Fine Arts . She also enjoys signature membership to the Kentucky Watercolor Society and the North East Watercolor Society where she serves on the Board of Directors. Formerly, Mary was a Signature Member of Knickerbocker Artists and an Artist Member of the Salmagundi Club in New York City.

Her work is exhibited nationally and internationally in juried museum and gallery competitions. In addition to being selected for numerous awards, Mary supports artistic merit by sponsoring award programs for selected art organizations. In her active career Mary has been a guest lecturer, juror and watercolor demonstrator—as well as an artist consultant for D’Arches fine art papers. Early on she was published in Art Of Young America.

Selected National Exhibitions

National Arts Club, National Watercolor Society, American Watercolor Society, Audubon Artists, Knickerbocker Artists, San Diego Watercolor Society, Catherine Lorillard Wolfe Club, Hudson Valley Artists, Mamaroneck Artist's Guild, National Exhibition of American Watercolors, Georgia Watercolor Society, Art of Rockland and Orange County Invitational, Pikes Peak Watercolor Society, Pittsburgh Aqueous, Louisiana International, Kentucky Watercolor Society, Midlantic Regional, Pennsylvania Society of Watercolor Painters, Salmagundi Club, Allied Artists, Northeast Watercolor Society and the International Society of Experimental Artists. For an extended listing with awards: Click Here.

Sugar Loaf, NY [June, 14 2007]
Mary at work in her studio, Sugar Loaf, NY.

Mary with a sold painting in Museum Room. Photo for collector.