Within the Woods: Landscape Drawings by Mary Reilly

The finely rendered graphite drawings in Within the Woods reveal unexpected scenes of seclusion--natural vistas with meandering creeks and streams, silent forests, and majestic trees--all located in parks within an hour of the bustle of midtown Manhattan.

Mary Reilly's photorealist drawings of these serene environs are made using a reductive and additive process. First laying a mid–tone on the paper's surface with multiple layers of graphite, she then develops her image by pushing the darks and lifting the lights. The working and reworking of each piece creates a subtle shift in tone that imbues each piece with a sensual soft–focused photographic quality.

Born in Yorktown, New York, Mary Reilly has been a resident of New York City for over 20 years. She has studied at the School of Visual Arts, the Art Students League of New York, and the National Academy School for Design. Reilly is represented by the DFN gallery, and her work has been featured in American Artist Drawing Magazine.