Artist Focus: Mo Myra

Watercolorist Mo Myra paints with a sensitivity that captures both the quietude and vitality of the natural world. “When I paint, I get a profound feeling of peace, even if it’s just for a moment, and I long to impart that feeling to you,” she says.

Susan Powell Fine Art, Golden Hour’s Glow, watercolor, 8 x 10 in., by Mo Myra.

Plein air is central to her practice, where shifting light and atmosphere bring spontaneity to each work. Myra finds inspiration in the fields, barns and rural structures of New England. “When I first saw these old tobacco barns lining the landscape I was in complete awe, but as I looked up, the sky was putting on the most incredible show in the featured painting Head Held High. I like to think of it as a reminder to always keep your head up,” she reflects. “In Waiting on Spring, the old barn in the snow caught my attention. I love the ridged edges and warped wood; all of these little bits make it so much more interesting to look at, but an old barn in the snow feels like a story to share, and I couldn’t ignore it.” Other times, a moment of stillness moves her brush as in Golden Hour’s Glow. “This horse stopped me in my tracks, the light off his back was breathtaking and I fell in love with the scene right then.”

Susan Powell Fine Art, Waiting on Spring, watercolor, 11 x 14 in., by Mo Myra.

Myra’s dedication has earned her national recognition, with awards from Plein Air Magazine, Women in Watercolor and the National Watercolor Society. A graduate of Hartford Art School, she continues to balance her roles as painter, teacher and exhibitor, with her works finding homes across the country. —