Tucked away in an assisted living apartment at Avamere at Hillsboro surrounded by beautiful house plants, you’ll find a painter, Mary Grellman.
Mary paints artwork of all sizes, from pieces hung on the walls to large murals on buildings.
Painting from Reno to Bellevue
Mary lived in Reno, Nevada for 12 years, where she had her first experience painting while on scaffolding.
“I was so scared, I crawled!” she shared.
Her mural, which she painted with two other ladies, was unveiled at an art event, Art in Public Places.
Over the years, she painted on about any building, including painting a mascot on a school.
After her time in Reno, she moved to Bellevue, Washington, where she participated in her first art show at the Bellevue Art Fair.
Her son was four or five at the time, she recalled, and she brought him along for this summer event held at a local school. During the show, she heard “Mom, I’m here!” He had locked himself in a school locker. The principal and janitor weren’t there, so they ended up making a new key to get him out!
“That was my first art show, and I almost lost a son!” Mary joked.
Mary enjoyed the years she lived in Bellevue, mainly due to the area’s rich artistic culture.
“I loved living in Bellevue and Kirkland because there’s so much up there and a lot of things to enter into,” she said.
Painting a nude
In addition to painting objects on murals, Mary has also painted a nude. She was a large, redhead woman who was attending the University of Oregon, Mary recalled.
“I just loved that,” Mary said about the nude painting.
Mary displayed the painting in her home, noting it was even bigger than her television. In the shuffle of her moves, she no longer has the painting, but the experience remains a fond memory.
Art shows with a little bit of everything
Mary settled in Oregon after a while in Washington, where she exhibited some of her paintings at a Lake Oswego art show. This show had “a little bit of everything,” as Mary put it.
While there, she got a pleasant surprise. She saw artwork from a teacher she admired when she attended school in Willamette. He had since passed away, and his wife showcased his art at the show.
“I got to talk with her and tell her much I had appreciated him as a teacher,” Mary said.
It was a wonderful time of remembrance, and an experience Mary will always remember.
Get to know more about Mary and the other amazing artists at Avamere at Hillsboro. Stop by this independent living, assisted living, and memory care community – it will certainly be a visit worth taking!