Mary Ann Duffy Godin
A farmer’s daughter and fourth generation Vermonter, Mary Ann grew up on a Milton, Vermont dairy farm in a big Irish family where all things were homemade, homespun and homebound. Mary Ann graduated from Trinity College with a B.S. degree in Business in 1964 and earned a Master’s degree from the University of Vermont in 1992. In 1998, she was named ‘Teacher of the Year’ for the Milton Town School District. A public servant Mary Ann serves as a member of the Civil Board of Authority for the town of Milton and is a past member of the Selectboard.
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Mary Ann is a watercolor artist who enjoys a creative spirit that has followed her throughout her life. After a successful career as a high school teacher at Milton High School and her five children grown and gone, she transitioned into a Vermont watercolor artist. What lessons she didn’t learn as the mother of five and teaching teenagers for 40 years, the art of watercolor will surely strengthen and hopefully preserve!
“I have responded to the world around me painting ordinary things we look at every day but sometimes do not see. I have shown everyone in God’s creation what I have seen and loved and maybe they will see what I see and love it too.”
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Growing up in the fifties in rural Vermont gave us time to be mindful—to look at things and take stock of one’s surroundings—a time that one might wish to recapture and preserve in some way because of its stark contrast to our lives today. Absolutely, I was one of the lucky ones—I had a mother who pointed out to all the ordinary things that were all around us which most likely influenced me a great deal and provided much inspiration. Things like the view of the Adirondacks across the fields of our beautiful farm, that beautiful Oak tree as we rounded the bend on Duffy Road, the landscape and open pastures in front of our house along with the open spaciousness that comes with them, the garden flowers and oh my, the cows, the birds, and the way of life we enjoyed. We didn’t have much but we had so much and if you look carefully, you will see with star-studded eyes where some of these influences have made their way into my paintings! *Photo above taken at the VWS Spring Show in Manchester, Vt. where the watercolor work of two MAG members was juried in.
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A Vermont Watercolor Artist
Mary Ann Duffy Godin
I deeply believe that the gifts we are given we are given to share. I am a member of the Vermont Handcrafters, the Vermont Watercolor Society where I am a signature artist, the Bryan Memorial Gallery and the Milton Artists’ Guild in Milton, Vt. I am committed to improving my art from one day to the next based on feedback from sharing my art with others whether it be a state-wide juried art show or a conversation with another artist or simply a person viewing my art. I have had the good fortune of studying under a Vermont watercolor artist who served me up with good instruction and excellent feedback. I do believe, however, that some of my successes have also come from me alone. My determination, daily painting, and strong connection to my subject matter are the basic ingredients that have helped to expand my skills in watercolor—also the qualities and characteristics of a Virgo have once again served me well! (I was born in September).
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We are all involved in the pursuit of our own happiness—this is the race to be won and we all can win it! Part of my daily dosage in that pursuit is expanding my mind in learning something new, spending a little time each day outside and tending to my one desire as a painter which is to just paint. Mary Ann very often donates her art to causes that help other people succeed in their own pursuit of happiness. Her work can be seen at: www.vtwatercolorsociety.org |
