Dimension (mm): H870 L660 D30

About the artist Mary van de Wiel

"I’ve been an incurable doodler all my life"

"All it would take was a scrap of paper, a magazine cover or a cocktail napkin and before you knew it? Black pen in hand, I’d be scribbling all over every inch. I did that for years. Finally, bit by bit, those damn doodles took over my life and refused to be doodles anymore."

Brooklyn, New York 2008  Imagine eight people coming for dinner. With only one long table, a huge roll of butcher’s paper and several widths of black tape, I get to work.  (I’m in heaven.) People walked away that night filled up with the memory of black line madness. No one gave a damn about the food. I was hooked and BlackLineCrazy was born.

San Miguel de Allende, Mexico 2012 Four months here. Life was feeling big.  I knocked on the door of artist Gerarado Ruiz, rented a studio and started with a brush and a can of black house paint.  I played with the resident artist’s dogs, sighed with happiness. And life changed.

Brooklyn, New York 2013 Back in Brooklyn, I had this strange desire to climb a ladder. (Who doesn’t want to paint floor to ceiling?)  A salute to my fab graffiti-artist-neighbor @ElleStreetArt who inspired me. (And Finn, my sweet 13 year old who was patient with me.) I painted until I ran out of wall.

Sydney, Australia 2014 Here I am working, writing, brand consulting, tutoring and guest lecturing at The University of Sydney’s Business School/Masters Program. And, of course, loving the blue skies & swooping cockatoos. I rent a studio in Paddington where I’m always at my happiest painting. The overhead fan moves air in circles around BlackLineCrazy. And me.

Sydney, Australia 2015 Excited to celebrate my first exhibition at Saint Cloche Gallery in Paddington: August 11-September 1, 2015. The show, Black Line Boogie, has a three-week run showcasing BlackLineCrazy paintings on canvas, paper, fabric and furniture – and ceramics by Jan Howlin. Almost a sold-out show! (Take a look at the Exhibitions link for a video of Opening night.) At the end of the year, I wrap up the Sydney studio, head for Los Angeles where I continue to develop BlackLineCrazy madness, run workshops for business women and lecture at UCLA.

San Miguel de Allende, Mexico 2016 This is a magical place. I’m working here right now, skipping back and forth to New York and developing Black Line Crazy as well as running my NY Brand Lab workshops. Thrilled to celebrate my first group exhibition here at Galeria Manuk at the prestigious Fabrica La Aurora, August 6 – September 30, 2016. Artist Lourdes Rivera’s gallery (her pic below/left) showcases BlackLineCrazy paintings on canvas, lighting and custom-designed 100% woven rugs. (Check out the Exhibitions link for more.)

San Miguel de Allende, Mexico 2016  | POP UP | December 2-3 2016  What an extraordinary ten-hour exhibition it was! Special thanks to my friends, new friends and the SMA community for showing up and for the support. The first POP UP Opening Party Cocktails on Friday, Dec 2 was packed out! And on the Saturday, we had a lovely flow of people dropping in all afternoon.  New Black Line Crazy work was on show__from paintings on paper and canvas to new products with BLC printed materials designed for lighting, rugs, furniture and things to wear, wrap and flaunt! Imagine 100% wool woven throws, messenger bags, clutches, shopping bags and more. Check the POP UP MEXICO link to see photos from the show.