When looking at McDonnell’s Untitled ink on paper from 2009, it is essential to consider how her artwork reflects the influence of landscape while diverging from literal representation. The sensation of water occupies the surface of this gessoed wood panel. The broad stokes, flecked with paint seem to float with exuberance while suggesting both a landscape quality as well as the feeling of Japanese calligraphy. This technique aligns with a tradition of abstract expressionism where the artist's emotional and intellectual engagement with the work becomes paramount.

McDonnell’s approach to her work finds her in “conversation” with the piece she is working on. “For me,” she says, “it’s not one point of entry, but lots of back and forth before I decide on a painting’s orientation.” If she’s begun a painting but hasn’t found her way, McDonnell says, “We’re not talking together yet.”

Mary McDonnell is known for her highly personal abstract paintings, which vividly capture her sensory experiences of the natural world. Living in the densely wooded, rural area of upstate New York, McDonnell has developed a keen sensitivity to nature and the material it provides, often using sticks, straw and other custom, found, tools as her “brushes”, each imbuing its distinct impact on her imagery.

McDonnell’s paintings are characterized by dynamic brushwork, embodying the physicality of her movements around each canvas. Often working on the floor, each painting or work on paper is constructed through a network of bold, energetic strokes, accumulated gestures, and painterly lines sometimes densely interwoven, at other times loosely arranged. These strokes form the underlying structure of her compositions, highlighting her commitment to nature and her evolving interpretation of it as a realm where earth takes precedence over space. Each object, evolving through a contemplative, meditative process, results in deceptively simple yet profoundly complex image.