Behind the Scenes
BIO / MARY FASSBINDER
As an artist, I see painting as a way to honor and preserve the natural world. I am a plein air painter, ceramist, and lifelong naturalist whose work is rooted in reverence for the land and a deep desire to protect it for future generations.
Born into a large Midwestern family, I first discovered inspiration in the quiet of lakes and woods, where I formed a lasting bond with nature that continues to shape my art. After moving to Northern California in 1982, an unexpected encounter revealed my path as a painter—a calling I have followed every day since 1994.
Driven by a love of open skies and untamed landscapes, I paint outdoors in all seasons, capturing fleeting light and raw beauty in the moment. From the oak-studded hills of Sonoma County to the vast stretches of America’s most iconic lands, my expressionistic landscapes reflect both awe and urgency. My artistic practice extends beyond painting into ceramics, lino-cut prints, writing, and teaching. From 2000 to 2023, I owned and operated Fassbinder Gallery and Framing Atelier in downtown Petaluma, where I exhibited and sold my work. Today, in my home studio, I continue to find joy in sharing my skills—whether guiding students indoors or painting side by side in nature.
Between 2014 and 2018, I embarked on an extraordinary artistic pilgrimage: traveling to and painting en plein air in all 63 U.S. National Parks. This 78,000-mile journey tested my limits, deepened my creative path, and connected me with others who share a passion for preserving these sacred places. What began as a personal challenge has grown into a mission to inspire others and celebrate the beauty we cannot afford to lose. My 100,000-word memoir, Everywhere Is Home: The Great Adventures of Plein Air Painting the National Parks, chronicles this odyssey to capture, brushstroke by brushstroke, the grandeur of America’s treasured landscapes.
Above all, I remain a champion of nature. With our world continuously changing, my deepest wish is to preserve the land through art and stories that will nourish the souls of future generations.
