MaryLynn Litchfield on Her Heart Felt Exhibition

Step into the world of abstract expressionism with artist MaryLynn Litchfield as she discusses grief, healing, and her solo exhibition, Heart Felt.

Art has a unique way of capturing the complex tapestry of human emotion. For artist MaryLynn Litchfield, the canvas became a vital space for processing grief, navigating loss, and forging a brand new identity.

In her latest solo exhibition, Heartfelt, hosted at the Burrinja Cultural Centre, MaryLynn steps boldly into the world of abstract expressionism. Leaving behind the tidy, controlled realism of her early career, she embraces broad brushstrokes, vibrant colours, and immense canvases to convey profound psychological states.

We sat down with MaryLynn to discuss her artistic process, her inspirations, and how personal loss ultimately transformed her approach to painting.

A Return to the Solo Stage

Interviewer: Is this your first major exhibition?
MaryLynn Litchfield: It is my first major exhibition in a long, long time, and it is certainly my first solo exhibition focusing purely on my abstract work. I have exhibited in group shows over the last few years, but this is a significant milestone for me. It has been a 15-year journey developing my abstraction to reach this point.

Interviewer: What initially attracted you to abstract painting?
MaryLynn: Many years ago, when I was at art school, I focused heavily on surrealism and realistic painting. I learned a great deal and truly loved it, but eventually, I realised I was just fulfilling university requirements. I got bored. I decided to start exploring, seeing what a simple dot could do and where a single line could take me.

At the time, I painted a lot of landscapes and still life. Gradually, the lines in my work became grids on the earth. I completely removed the traditional landscape element, adopting a bird's-eye view and simply colouring the spaces. That is how my abstract journey began. I love strong composition, putting together shapes and colours that harmonise, balance, or even provoke emotions like angst.

The Emotional Power of Color and Scale

Interviewer: Colour clearly plays a massive role in this exhibition. How did you approach your palette for Heart Felt?
MaryLynn: Colour plays a huge part because it portrays emotion. When I started developing this exhibition over a year ago, I was dealing with a very difficult topic: grief. About two years ago, I lost my long-term partner. This exhibition explores that loss, but it is also about forming a new identity. I kept asking myself, "Who am I now? Will I ever stop walking through mud?"

Because of this emotional weight, I decided to throw my old, tidy habits out the window. I made broad marks, explored rich textures, and pushed my use of colour. I started with three small 30x30-centimetre works in primary colours: red, yellow, and blue. I avoided using too much white, which was a big change for me, and I stopped tidying up my brushstrokes. It was pure feeling and pure creativity. From there, I scaled up. The exhibition features six large, highly abstract paintings at the end, and I am incredibly thrilled with them. The paint itself became the vehicle for my feelings.

Interviewer: Abstraction leaves so much to the imagination. What do you enjoy most about this genre?
MaryLynn: I find abstraction wonderful precisely because the viewer gets to make up their own mind. All art is abstract to a certain point because it is an expression of the imagination. But pure abstraction offers endless possibilities. You can explore delicacy, subtlety, strength, and courage. I have become quite sophisticated in how I play with paint, but it remains a playful process. If I ever left that playfulness behind, there would be no reason to do it.

Techniques, Textures, and Inspirations

Interviewer: You mentioned painting on linen instead of canvas. How did that come about?
MaryLynn: During the show's development, Macarena, a wonderful and brave textile artist who shares the Burrinja studio space, suggested I try using acrylics on linen. Back in the day, I painted on linen with oils, so I was familiar with the surface. I decided to give it a try, and the effect of watery acrylic paint on raw linen is simply incredible. Because I know a lot about pigments, I can mix them perfectly to enhance those natural textures. There are two or three linen pieces in the show now.

Interviewer: Who are your biggest artistic inspirations?
MaryLynn: J.M.W. Turner is a massive inspiration. In the last ten years of his life, he painted these sublime, abstract cloud paintings that deeply touched me. One of my linen pieces is actually an ode to him, titled After Turner. It is not his subject matter that inspires me, but his use of light, colour, and paint.

I also look up to contemporary abstract painters like Emily Kame Kngwarreye. She painted in Central Australia, and her works are some of the most incredible abstract pieces of the last century. Another significant artist for me is Tony Tuckson. He worked as a curator and painted quietly at home, but his broad, amazing brush marks and drips really move me.

Finding Freedom Through Control

Interviewer: Do you feel freer with abstract painting compared to your earlier realistic works?
MaryLynn: It is definitely freer, but it is a very fine line. I feel like the freer I become, the more controlled I must be with that freedom. Because I have painted for so many years, I have an underlying sense of control, and that is where the beauty lies. It is about letting go - going with a line, trusting a colour feeling, and being brave enough to paint over something that looks good but doesn't serve the overall composition.

I tend to work in layers. I let the paint dry, add more, and use various acrylic mediums to create depth, translucency, and fluidity. Emotionally, I always know when a piece is finished. For example, the large red painting in the exhibition, Elemental Red, is a piece I am incredibly proud of. It shows that it is okay to feel a wide spectrum of emotions. That is simply what humans do, and we need to stay in touch with our humanity to grow and care for ourselves and others.

What Comes Next

Interviewer: What is next for you, MaryLynn?
MaryLynn: I am just going to keep going. Working large and exploring texture and colour has sparked something entirely new for me. I am currently developing ideas for Burrinja's Climate Change Biennale #4, which will involve a lot of blue. I am also looking to exhibit more in the city and aiming to be featured on the Art Lovers Australia website.

Mostly, I am just deeply grateful for my community here at Burrinja. Working as an artist can be lonely and isolating, but here, I am surrounded by talented, supportive people. We talk, we laugh, and we obsess over pigments together, things only artists truly understand. I am in a lovely space, and I am excited to see where the paint takes me next.

Want to experience MaryLynn's vibrant work for yourself? Visit her solo exhibition, Heart Felt, on display now at Burrinja's Lyre Gallery. Don't miss this opportunity to witness the emotional power of abstract expressionism up close!

Heartfelt is on now at Burrinja's Lyre Gallery until Sunday, 3 May.

Main image - MaryLin Litchfield, Heart Felt Exhibition 2026, image by the author