Hello! I’m Mary. I am a Virginia native, and I currently live in Richmond, VA. I am Catholic and currently attend a parish in the Diocese of Richmond.

I grew up in Falls Church, VA. I come from a big family (I’m the youngest sibling) and have always considered myself a people-person.

I graduated from the University of Virginia in 2018 (B.A. English, Spanish) and 2019 (M.A. in Teaching Secondary English). I taught 7th grade English for three years, before stepping away from the classroom to be a stay at home mom.

My Art Philosophy & Education:

I am proud that I have created artwork in a wide variety of mediums. Trying different styles brings me genuine joy because it helps me stay focused on the process of learning (rather than getting hung up on perfectionism, or thinking that my art needs to look a certain way). I tend to like more representational style artwork, and I like making art that tells a story.

I see God as the ultimate artist– He created the entire world, with all its colors and textures, its magnitude and minutiae, and its array of human beings, each a masterpiece in their own right. In making art, I try to seek beauty in my everyday life in an effort to connect with my own Creator.

I have taken several art classes, both in formal school settings and in community workshop settings:

• Drawing (UVA, 2014, 2015) with Amy Chan
• Intaglio Etching, Printmaking (UVA, 2015) with Dean Dass
• Artist Books (UVA, 2016) with Dean Dass — a real favorite, as it combined my love of reading and art together! I also made Artist books for my Creative Nonfiction Writing class (2019) with Micheline Aharonian Marcom
• Glassblowing (Glen Echo Glassworks, Glen Echo Park, 2018) with Phil Valencia
• Oil Painting (McGuffey Art Center, Charlottesville, 2019) with Renee Balfour
• Introductory Stained Glass (The Glass Palette, Charlottesville, 2019) with Maria DiMassimo –> In this workshop, I learned the basic process of making stained glass, which was incredibly helpful. I took copious notes so I would not forget a step in the lengthy process. Otherwise, all my stained glass experience self-taught through experimentation and online resources.
• Pottery on the Wheel (The Art League, Alexandria, 2019) with Allison Severance
• Watercolor Painting (The Art League, Alexandria, 2021) with Rachel Collins
• Figure Drawing Basics (The Art League, Alexandria, 2022) with Lisa Semerad
• Fused Glass (Visual Arts Center, Richmond, 2022) with Erin Cross
• Linoleum (Linocut) Printmaking (Visual Arts Center, Richmond, 2022) with Sophie Smith
• Gouache Painting (Visual Arts Center, Richmond, 2023) with Dorian Cohen