Mars Avery's The protector of salvation sold for $20,480 at Doyle's Impressionist & Modern Art/Post-War & Contemporary Art auction on May 8, 2024 in New York City. The brightly colored oil on canvas evokes nostalgia for carefree childhood beach days and is a perfect match for our summer cover. The painting, along with many others by Avery, is rooted in her childhood; the Avery family vacationed during long summers, with destinations serving as inspiration. Like many of Avery's works, which often sell above their estimate, The protector of salvation sold for roughly double its estimate of $8,000-$12,000.

Born to artist parents, Avery's innate ability to paint was evident early on. She began painting and drawing around the age of two and never received formal artistic training. Naturally, Avery trained by watching her parents at work and inherited the family style – simplified compositions with flat planes and bold colors. Her subject matter centered around her private life, usually featuring domestic scenes, portraits of family and friends, and landscapes of places she visited.

For Avery, age is nothing but a number as she continues to paint in her New York home at the age of 91. Her work appears in public collections around the country and in 2022, she had her first overseas solo show in London. Her artwork is also the subject of an upcoming book this summer. Despite a huge increase in interest in her work, in a recent interview, Avery said TOAST magazine that financial success was not a motivating factor in her early career; she just couldn't imagine doing anything else.

Some of our other favorites from this auction are featured throughout the issue.