About the artist

Earthy yet ethereal, my work interweaves magic and mystery with the mundane through unexpected juxtapositions and dark, moody colors. For me, there is something deeply comforting and empowering about viewing the beauty of nature through a magical lens. In an increasingly busy world that often feels out of our control, the natural world provides a quiet refuge for reflection of ourselves and the hidden meanings of life that lay beneath the surface.

My work developed during a deeply transformative period of midlife as I found myself retreating more often into the stillness of my home studio accompanied by my serendipitously acquired cats. Unsure of how my next paintings would reflect who I was becoming, initially, I only had the desire to paint my furry muses while somehow incorporating my renewed interest in interior and textile design. However, as I rendered these enigmatic creatures along with intuitively placed symbols such as moths and mushrooms, themes of the unknown, transformation, and personal sovereignty began to emerge from the depths of the dark, moody color palette. In these initial paintings, each cat, positioned in front of mysterious, blue-green backgrounds, partially hidden by wild flora, seemed to sit at a threshold between the realms of the familiar and the unknown as if beckoning the viewer to enter with bravery and wonder.

During this period of hibernation and creative inspiration, a clearer sense of my new identity began to take root as I began to shift from a fear of the unknown to an empowered embrace of the new journey ahead. As a result, I began incorporating the female figure in similar dark, enchanting worlds filled with symbolism to further explore these themes while maintaining an aura of magic and mystique.

As a child, Andrea Mae Wood spent much of her time either drawing or immersed in the woods near her home where she collected rocks and other treasures, mapped out secret passages and played with the neighborhood calico. Since leaving her career in art education and special education, her art practice has returned to these early experiences in nature while simultaneously finding inspiration in mysticism, fairytales and folklore.

Andrea Mae Wood received her BFA in art education with an emphasis in painting and drawing from the University of Missouri-St. Louis. She currently resides in a suburb of Chicago with her partner, son, and studio cats. Her work is in private collections throughout the United States and Canada.