Mary Clay Hernandez

Mary Clay HernandezMary Clay (Senter) Hernandez, Artist, went to be with her Lord, surrounded by family, Thursday, June 18, 2015. Funeral Services are: 11:00 a.m. Monday, June 22, at Laurel Land, Chapel of the Chimes, 7100 Crowley Rd., FW 76134. She was born September 18, 1936 in Fort Worth to Melvin Clayton Senter and Frances Myers.

Always artistic and adventurous, Mary Clay wrote about her art and life: “The inspiration for my paintings comes from an adventure that led to many years of living in Guanajuato, a small town in central Mexico. While there I studied at the University of Guanajuato, married a Mexican law student [Francisco] and raised 6 children. Later I returned to Fort Worth to continue my studies at TCU, receiving my BFA in painting in 1985 [at the age of 50]. The Mexican landscape is the subject of many paintings and is my venue to comment on spiritual, cultural and emotional topics. The highway with its many crosses frequently suggests our sojourn through life and reminds me of our finite quality. They are my response to a half century of automobile trips to and from Guanajuato and Fort Worth.” Mary was a TCU artistic fixture — for 20 years she painted almost daily at TCU’s Art Studio. Having studied at Daggett and Paschal, she remained very close to childhood friends. Always spiritual, her last words were to her Lord. To her family she said: “I am full of joy.”

Mary Clay HernandezMary was preceded in death by her father, mother and sister Shirley. Survivors: Husband, Francisco; Children, Juan Hernandez and wife Estela, Marjorie Barnes, Nina Osuna and husband Edward, Francisco Hernandez, Jr. and wife KT, Daniel Hernandez and wife Jennifer, and Mary Nyari and husband Rudy; and 22 grandchildren and great-grandchildren.

We invite you to enjoy her art. Click here to see her collections.