How Babies are Made, acrylic, ink and jigsaw-cut wood shapes on wood box frame

Mary Streepy’s artworks span a variety of styles and subject matter, ranging from detailed illustrations to abstracts that combine line work, bright colours and sometimes three-dimensional elements that are attached to a flat image. Streepy’s bombastic style is consistent throughout her media and subjects.

I enjoy Streepy’s abstract works, particularly in the way the artist combines line art and bright, colourful shapes and fields. The line art is so tight and frantic that it often looks representational. I feel like I might be able to pick an image out of the tangle of black lines if I move back a bit or squint my eyes. The colour palette that the artist chooses to work with is bright but not overpowering. The colours – teal, pink and lemon yellow, among others – are graphic and thoroughly modern. They remind me a little of the work of Jessie Barton or Amber Petersen.

Infinite Paint, mixed media and drilled holes on wood box frame

In her recent practice, Streepy has been creating some works that feature upward views of treetops, as seen from the ground. These dizzying artworks offer a view that isn’t normally seen in landscapes, and do a great job with emulating the slightly disoriented feeling that one gets when looking up at tall trees. 

Yellow Tree Tops, acrylic and ink on canvas