Mimi Cernyar-Fox

Artist Statement

These paintings arise from a time of distortion, division, and suppressed truth. In the political climate of today, the pursuit of peace, health, and prosperity can feel like a struggle. That struggle compelled me to create this work.
Each painting is rooted in personal emotion, spiritual experience, and a direct connection to the deeper source of being. Through a contemporary visual language, I invite the viewer beyond the surface—toward reflection, awareness, and a more conscious relationship with truth.
At the center of this work is hope. I believe the Creator placed hope within every human soul from the beginning of time. Hope is not passive; it asks for our participation. It is the living force that calls us toward courage, healing, and the power of the positive in our lives.

I have devoted my life to the visual arts. My path began with traditional art training, including a four-year Bachelor of Fine Arts degree from the internationally renowned Pacific Northwest College of Art in Portland, Oregon, followed by a Master of Fine Arts degree from Washington State University in Pullman, Washington.
The influences that shaped my life are woven clearly through my expressive work. I grew up poor, especially by today’s standards, and as the eldest daughter I carried responsibility early. Losing my mother in childhood deepened my sensitivity to the human condition, especially the trials we face and the strength it takes to overcome, move through, and continue forward.
In my youth, I attended a private Benedictine all-girls high school, where I studied art, religion, and music. I also grew up on the family farm, working in gardens and caring for animals—experiences that made a lifelong impression on me. My spiritual paintings reflect not only my personal faith, but also my understanding of animals, their spiritual presence, and their connection to their Creator.
Music has influenced me throughout my life. My earliest memories include my father listening to the jazz greats of the Big Band Era on vinyl in the 1800s farmhouse where I grew up with six of my siblings. That rhythm, movement, and sense of improvisation continue to shape my impressions on canvas, especially in the arrangement and design of my horse paintings. I have always loved singing for the joy of it, and blues and jazz became part of my creative language. While attending college, I often sang at Jazz Quarry in Portland, Oregon, with vocalist Neil Diamond and the Eddie Weed band. Those musical experiences helped inspire the expressive movement that appears throughout my paintings.
Over the years, I have exhibited my work at Gallery 110 in Seattle, Washington; Blackfish Gallery in Portland, Oregon; the 8th Annual Icon Show at Lynn Hanson Gallery in Seattle; and Rowboat Gallery in Lincoln City, Oregon. I was also included in the annual Trinity 2021 show at Sparrow Gallery in Sacramento, California, and in the online international exhibition Anti-War 2025 through Biofrin, Gallerium Art. From 2007 to 2009, my paintings were shown at Galerie Etienne de Causans in Paris, France. The Hatfield Marine Science Center and the Guin Library in Newport, Oregon, also hold a permanent collection of my marine-inspired work.
My work is held in university collections and private collections across the United States.
I continue to experiment with both traditional and non-traditional media. My latest works celebrate the beauty and gift of the horse. Through an expressionist lens, I approach the horse spiritually—as a presence of color, movement, joy, and beauty—and I seek to honor the horse in a way that feels both deeply personal and alive.

Mimi Cernyar Fox