Mae Mair
Sana Rose, Contributor
MOST artists start their careers in their youth but others begin in the 'winter' of their lives.
"Once in a Lifetime" was mounted last month at the Contemporary Art Gallery in Liguanea.
Mae Mair, the 81-year-old artist states that the plans for the exhibition materialised when "one of my sisters saw my work. She said that there was no way she was going to see me sit by with those paintings so I just thought well, let's try. At first I wanted to have it here (at home), but she said no, so we went out with it and of course, without my daughter there would be no exhibition because she did all that was necessary to have an exhibition."
Mae was born into a large family in Westmoreland in 1920. She believes her father passed on his artistic talent to her as she recalls, "I could see he had art in him because he's the only person I'd ever seen carve out a coconut in birds". But Mae's painting years came much later in her life as she became an accomplished dress designer and later went on to do floral art.
Her floral art earned her recognition in magazines in the United States and based purely on the merits of her work, she was offered a job in New Orleans to manage an office of Sears, a well-known American company. She shared her knowledge of floral art through teaching locally and overseas and inspired one of her students to teach floral art as well.
Remarkably, Mae is self-taught in all her chosen career fields. She is a self-taught dress designer, floral artist and painter, although she spent two terms at the School of Visual and Performing Arts at Edna Manley College doing part-time courses, which were discontinued for various reasons. She remarks that, "it is really God's gift because I can say I have excelled in all three things for myself and I have been told so by many people".
After retiring from floral art, Mae began to paint and sees the importance of art in her life as "it expresses my feelings". She states further that her desire is to "draw things that make people laugh but I don't think I've reached that stage yet." She loves abstract art and these works in particular are her most successful pieces as the elements of the creative imagination are seen at work. She sees various forms in the objects she collects and paints. A driftwood is seen as a dancer or a wolf, a stone becomes a shoe and dripping paint becomes a group of women at a prayer meeting.
Although Mae's health is her greatest drawback, she continues to paint stating that "I am never satisfied. (My work) can be much better and I feel that as time goes by, if I have the health, I will improve. As a matter of fact, whatever field I found myself (in), I'm never satisfied. I always want to do better".
For the future, Mae says she would like to paint more religious paintings and states that, "at this stage, I feel I am just learning so there is plenty more left, if the Lord so wills it, to come out". Much has "come out" as Mae passed on her gifts to her two sons and granddaughter. She offers encouragement to those who have the desire to pursue art, urging, "don't be discouraged if you haven't got money to go to a school. You won't know until you try. (Art) is very arresting to the nerves especially for elderly people who are trying to find occupation".
Having led a full life, the very modest, humble and courageous Mae Mair, a widow, mother of two, grandmother of four and great-grandmother of two is still on the go, proving that age is just a number and art is for all to enjoy. She finds her strength in God and asserts "how could it be anything but God? Give him all the glory. I have nothing to say. Close the case right there. It's all God's doing. I am fully convinced of God's doings from the beginning of my life until now. Being young and worldly (I) didn't notice that until now - that I was being led all the time".
