THE ARTIST

Growing up on a dairy farm in northeastern Ohio, M. F. Kline was first inspired by her artistic passions at the early age of 5 years old—after the family’s beloved workhorses had been sold and replaced by a tractor. This event sparked in her a deep longing—and with it, stubborn determination—to recreate these creatures of her past. From then on, Mary spent her childhood days learning to draw horses, and later, model them out of clay. It seemed nothing else mattered but creating. Dreaming. Drawing. Sculpting.

M. F. Kline (born: Mary Francis Kline; married: Mary Kline Roynesdal) began stone carving in 1977 as a sophomore at Bluffton University in Ohio. During this time, she conceived her Man vs Nature theme, an ongoing series that continues to this day (browse series here). After debuting the theme at her Senior Art Show, she seized an opportunity to study abroad in Vienna, Florence, and Rome. Through her travels, she became captivated by the awe-inspiring stone works of the ancient master carvers.

Over the next two decades, she continued creating as a professional artist. She completed stone sculptures in the classical realism design from alabaster and marble, by commission for various private collections. In addition to stone carving, she completed over 100 oil-on-canvas paintings—including landscapes and portraitures.

She studied further at the School of Visual Arts in New York City and received accolades from numerous art shows in the City. Throughout her career, she has enjoyed teaching the arts to students of all ages and sharing her enthusiasm of the stone medium with others.

In 1998, she was commissioned by her alma mater for an outdoor sculpture to be placed in the University’s Centennial Sculpture Garden. The piece was completed in clay, cast in bronze, and unveiled in 1999.

She currently resides in Central Virginia with her family, where she is working on a number of works in progress. In 2014, she became a member of the Virginia Stone Carvers Guild. She is proud to be participating in their various regional events and showcasing her work throughout the 2015 season.