“I like to work in the medium suggested to me by the scene itself, she explains. “For instance, I associate storm clouds lifting from the Catalinas with very wet water colors.”
Mac Schweitzer, as quoted by Michelle Keating, Tucson Daily Citizen, 1950
Mac spent more time outdoors than she did inside buildings. Always attentive to wildlife, she also paid close attention to the plants and land formations around her. While visiting and later moving to northern Arizona, she became fascinated with prehistoric cliff dwellings and other archaeological sites, especially those preserved at Navajo National Monument where she lived.
Mac rarely painted on site (en plein aire). Instead, she carefully observed the people and places that she visited and the animals she encountered. She rarely took photos. Upon returning home, she set to work at her kitchen table, recreating images from her mind’s eye.
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