Artwork copyright Mary Cornish-Hicks. Photo courtesy of Washington State Arts Commission.

Cutting the Blue, 1990

Mary Cornish-Hicks
American (born 1950)

Location: Washington State Arts Commission, Olympia

About the Artwork

Cutting the Blue is a richly detailed realistic painting created by artist Mary Cornish Hicks. The title refers both to the name of the sailboat and to the experience of sailing through water. She notes, "I chose to execute this painting in watercolor because the flow of the sail, the movement of the water, and the position of the figure seemed to call out for a very fluid medium such as watercolor."

This artwork was acquired for the State Art Collection in partnership with Battle Ground Public Schools.

About the Artist

Virginia-based artist Mary Cornish-Hicks is a native of Washington State. She notes, "My art has always been a constant positive experience throughout my life. If you can satisfy something within yourself, or you can genuinely give others a sense of satisfaction through your art, that's all you can ask of yourself as an artist."
Cornish-Hicks was born in Colfax, Eastern Washington, and grew up in Bremerton on Puget Sound, Western Washington. She studied at the Northwest College of Art in Portland, Oregon.