{"product_id":"mary-ann-davis-desert-landscape-signed-oil-on-canvas-american-plein-air-painter-c-1978-1980","title":"Mary Ann Davis Desert Landscape – Signed Oil on Canvas, American Plein Air Painter (c.1978-1980)","description":"\u003ch2 data-start=\"395\" data-end=\"411\"\u003e\u003cstrong data-start=\"398\" data-end=\"411\"\u003eThe Piece\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cp data-start=\"413\" data-end=\"843\"\u003eA signed oil-on-canvas desert landscape by \u003cstrong data-start=\"456\" data-end=\"484\"\u003eMary Ann Davis (b. 1954)\u003c\/strong\u003e — a contemporary American painter celebrated for her plein air and regionalist work across the Midwest and American West.\u003cbr data-start=\"606\" data-end=\"609\"\u003ePainted during her mid-career period, this piece captures Davis’s distinctive sense of light and open space: a study in tonal restraint and atmospheric color, where the horizon dissolves into the vast stillness of the American desert.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp data-start=\"845\" data-end=\"1114\"\u003eRendered in the artist’s characteristically layered brushwork, the painting evokes the intersection of realism and emotion. Its quiet geometry — low ridgelines, sparse vegetation, and infinite sky — transforms an ordinary view into a meditation on solitude and scale.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp data-start=\"1116\" data-end=\"1327\"\u003eSigned \u003cstrong data-start=\"1123\" data-end=\"1143\"\u003e“Mary Ann Davis”\u003c\/strong\u003e at the lower right and housed in its original giltwood frame, the work bridges plein air authenticity and formal composition, balancing natural observation with painterly abstraction.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003chr data-start=\"1329\" data-end=\"1332\"\u003e\n\u003ch2 data-start=\"1334\" data-end=\"1362\"\u003e\u003cstrong data-start=\"1337\" data-end=\"1362\"\u003eDesign \u0026amp; Construction\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003ch3 data-start=\"1364\" data-end=\"1376\"\u003ePainting\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp data-start=\"1377\" data-end=\"1627\"\u003e→ \u003cstrong data-start=\"1379\" data-end=\"1390\"\u003eArtist:\u003c\/strong\u003e Mary Ann Davis (American, b. 1954)\u003cbr data-start=\"1425\" data-end=\"1428\"\u003e→ \u003cstrong data-start=\"1430\" data-end=\"1440\"\u003eTitle:\u003c\/strong\u003e \u003cem data-start=\"1441\" data-end=\"1459\"\u003eDesert Landscape\u003c\/em\u003e\u003cbr data-start=\"1459\" data-end=\"1462\"\u003e→ \u003cstrong data-start=\"1464\" data-end=\"1473\"\u003eDate:\u003c\/strong\u003e c.1970s–1980s\u003cbr data-start=\"1487\" data-end=\"1490\"\u003e→ \u003cstrong data-start=\"1492\" data-end=\"1503\"\u003eMedium:\u003c\/strong\u003e Oil on canvas\u003cbr data-start=\"1517\" data-end=\"1520\"\u003e→ \u003cstrong data-start=\"1522\" data-end=\"1537\"\u003eDimensions:\u003c\/strong\u003e Approx. 24 × 36 in (framed 30 × 42 in)\u003cbr data-start=\"1576\" data-end=\"1579\"\u003e→ \u003cstrong data-start=\"1581\" data-end=\"1595\"\u003eSignature:\u003c\/strong\u003e Lower right, “Mary Ann Davis”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp data-start=\"1629\" data-end=\"2102\"\u003eThe composition features a broad desert basin framed by low mountain ranges. Soft washes of ochre, umber, and rose give structure to the land, while the sky — layered in violet-gray and ivory — occupies nearly half the canvas.\u003cbr data-start=\"1855\" data-end=\"1858\"\u003eDavis’s brushwork alternates between wet-on-dry scumbling and impasto ridge work, creating tactile movement even in stillness. Her palette conveys a late-afternoon warmth fading into haze, the hour when the desert becomes more sound than sight.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003chr data-start=\"2104\" data-end=\"2107\"\u003e\n\u003ch3 data-start=\"2109\" data-end=\"2118\"\u003eFrame\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp data-start=\"2119\" data-end=\"2286\"\u003e→ \u003cstrong data-start=\"2121\" data-end=\"2131\"\u003eStyle:\u003c\/strong\u003e Contemporary carved giltwood with linen liner\u003cbr data-start=\"2177\" data-end=\"2180\"\u003e→ \u003cstrong data-start=\"2182\" data-end=\"2191\"\u003eDate:\u003c\/strong\u003e c.1970s–1980s\u003cbr data-start=\"2205\" data-end=\"2208\"\u003e→ \u003cstrong data-start=\"2210\" data-end=\"2223\"\u003eMaterial:\u003c\/strong\u003e Giltwood with warm champagne finish and inner beaded molding\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp data-start=\"2288\" data-end=\"2528\"\u003eThe frame complements Davis’s color balance — its mellow gilt reflecting the sunlit tones of the painting. The linen liner, softly toned by age, maintains the mid-century presentation, offering textural contrast to the smooth paint surface.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003chr data-start=\"2530\" data-end=\"2533\"\u003e\n\u003ch2 data-start=\"2535\" data-end=\"2552\"\u003e\u003cstrong data-start=\"2538\" data-end=\"2552\"\u003eThe Artist\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cp data-start=\"2554\" data-end=\"3047\"\u003e\u003cstrong data-start=\"2554\" data-end=\"2592\"\u003eMary Ann Davis (American, b. 1954)\u003c\/strong\u003e is a contemporary plein air and landscape painter based in Indiana.\u003cbr data-start=\"2660\" data-end=\"2663\"\u003eShe earned her \u003cstrong data-start=\"2678\" data-end=\"2763\"\u003eBachelor of Fine Arts degree from the Herron School of Art (Indianapolis) in 1976\u003c\/strong\u003e, majoring in lithography before devoting herself to painting.\u003cbr data-start=\"2825\" data-end=\"2828\"\u003eDavis is a \u003cstrong data-start=\"2839\" data-end=\"2897\"\u003eSignature Member of the American Impressionist Society\u003c\/strong\u003e and an exhibiting member of the \u003cstrong data-start=\"2930\" data-end=\"2956\"\u003eBrown County Art Guild\u003c\/strong\u003e, an organization historically associated with the American regional landscape tradition.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp data-start=\"3049\" data-end=\"3351\"\u003eHer work has been featured in the \u003cstrong data-start=\"3083\" data-end=\"3139\"\u003e“Painting Indiana: The Changing Face of Agriculture”\u003c\/strong\u003e project — a juried statewide initiative celebrating Indiana’s natural and cultural landscape — and she has participated in numerous plein air competitions, including the \u003cstrong data-start=\"3310\" data-end=\"3350\"\u003eT.C. Steele Great Outdoors Paint-Out\u003c\/strong\u003e.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp data-start=\"3353\" data-end=\"3562\"\u003eDavis’s paintings, primarily in oil and pastel, focus on light and atmosphere rather than topographical detail. Her practice sits within the lineage of American Impressionism and the postwar plein air revival.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003chr data-start=\"3564\" data-end=\"3567\"\u003e\n\u003ch2 data-start=\"3569\" data-end=\"3594\"\u003e\u003cstrong data-start=\"3572\" data-end=\"3594\"\u003eHistorical Context\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cp data-start=\"3596\" data-end=\"3981\"\u003eIn the decades following World War II, a renewed interest in plein air painting emerged across the United States. Artists sought to reconnect with place and natural light amid rapid urbanization and cultural change.\u003cbr data-start=\"3811\" data-end=\"3814\"\u003eBy the 1970s, painters like Mary Ann Davis continued this lineage, infusing it with mid-century color sensibilities and a minimalist aesthetic born from modern design.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp data-start=\"3983\" data-end=\"4257\"\u003eThis desert landscape embodies that transition — rooted in observation but guided by abstraction and feeling.\u003cbr data-start=\"4092\" data-end=\"4095\"\u003eThe composition’s wide negative space reflects both the geography of the American West and the artist’s internal quiet — the stillness that defines her best work.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003chr data-start=\"4259\" data-end=\"4262\"\u003e\n\u003ch2 data-start=\"4264\" data-end=\"4280\"\u003e\u003cstrong data-start=\"4267\" data-end=\"4280\"\u003eCondition\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cp data-start=\"4282\" data-end=\"4476\"\u003e\u003cstrong data-start=\"4282\" data-end=\"4294\"\u003ePainting\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cbr data-start=\"4294\" data-end=\"4297\"\u003e→ Excellent original condition with stable surface and rich coloration\u003cbr data-start=\"4367\" data-end=\"4370\"\u003e→ No flaking, repairs, or overpainting detected\u003cbr data-start=\"4417\" data-end=\"4420\"\u003e→ Varnish clear and even, applied by artist or gallery\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp data-start=\"4478\" data-end=\"4601\"\u003e\u003cstrong data-start=\"4478\" data-end=\"4487\"\u003eFrame\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cbr data-start=\"4487\" data-end=\"4490\"\u003e→ Original gilt finish with minor edge wear consistent with age\u003cbr data-start=\"4553\" data-end=\"4556\"\u003e→ Structurally sound with clean linen liner\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp data-start=\"4603\" data-end=\"4629\"\u003eReady to hang and display.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch2 data-start=\"5315\" data-end=\"5337\"\u003e\u003cstrong data-start=\"5318\" data-end=\"5337\"\u003eProduct Details\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cp data-start=\"5339\" data-end=\"5616\"\u003e\u003cstrong data-start=\"5339\" data-end=\"5348\"\u003eItem:\u003c\/strong\u003e \u003cem data-start=\"5349\" data-end=\"5367\"\u003eDesert Landscape\u003c\/em\u003e\u003cbr data-start=\"5367\" data-end=\"5370\"\u003e\u003cstrong data-start=\"5370\" data-end=\"5381\"\u003eArtist:\u003c\/strong\u003e Mary Ann Davis (American, b. 1954)\u003cbr data-start=\"5416\" data-end=\"5419\"\u003e\u003cstrong data-start=\"5419\" data-end=\"5430\"\u003eMedium:\u003c\/strong\u003e Oil on canvas\u003cbr data-start=\"5444\" data-end=\"5447\"\u003e\u003cstrong data-start=\"5447\" data-end=\"5456\"\u003eDate:\u003c\/strong\u003e c.1970s–1980s\u003cbr data-start=\"5470\" data-end=\"5473\"\u003e\u003cstrong data-start=\"5473\" data-end=\"5483\"\u003eFrame:\u003c\/strong\u003e Original giltwood with linen liner\u003cbr data-start=\"5518\" data-end=\"5521\"\u003e\u003cstrong data-start=\"5521\" data-end=\"5535\"\u003eCondition:\u003c\/strong\u003e Excellent\u003cbr data-start=\"5545\" data-end=\"5548\"\u003e\u003cstrong data-start=\"5548\" data-end=\"5558\"\u003eStyle:\u003c\/strong\u003e Contemporary American Realism \/ Plein Air \/ Regionalist\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003chr data-start=\"4631\" data-end=\"4634\"\u003e\n\u003ch2 data-start=\"4636\" data-end=\"4670\"\u003e\u003cstrong data-start=\"4639\" data-end=\"4670\"\u003eWhy It Belongs in Your Home\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cp data-start=\"4672\" data-end=\"4785\"\u003eBecause it captures what cannot be said — the hush of a vast landscape, the feeling of light leaving the earth.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp data-start=\"4787\" data-end=\"5025\"\u003eMary Ann Davis’s desert scenes translate the silence of open space into visual poetry. The warmth of her palette and the precision of her hand evoke serenity and reflection, bridging classical landscape traditions with modern restraint.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp data-start=\"5027\" data-end=\"5159\"\u003eIt brings:\u003cbr\u003e→ The authenticity of plein air observation\u003cbr data-start=\"5081\" data-end=\"5084\"\u003e→ A meditative sense of stillness\u003cbr data-start=\"5117\" data-end=\"5120\"\u003e→ Subtle luminosity and timeless calm\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp data-start=\"5161\" data-end=\"5308\"\u003ePerfect for spaces that embrace natural materiality — linen, wood, stone — or interiors seeking balance between modern simplicity and organic form.\u003cstrong data-start=\"5318\" data-end=\"5337\"\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Viridian Eclection","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":42752392298601,"sku":null,"price":924.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0651\/0093\/9369\/files\/mary_ann_davis_desert_landscape_signed_oil_on_canvas_american_plein_air_painter_c.1978-1980766233264138534457147179113.jpg?v=1774418403","url":"https:\/\/viridianeclection.com\/products\/mary-ann-davis-desert-landscape-signed-oil-on-canvas-american-plein-air-painter-c-1978-1980","provider":"Viridian Eclection","version":"1.0","type":"link"}