Mary is a graduate of NCAD and initially established an international reputation as a photographer. In the mid 1990s, she worked as a programme-maker, researcher and producer in RTE, during which time one of her radio documentaries was nominated for the international radio award, the Prix d’Italia.
Mary later returned full-time to her first love, painting. She prefers to work mostly ‘en Plein Air’ and finds the immediacy of working in nature a constant inspiration While much of her work is inspired by landscape she also paints still life, the human figure and portraits. Her work is noted for a highly developed sense of colour and lively brushwork.
In addition to exhibiting with the Dublin Painting and Sketching Club, Mary has exhibited in 2015 and 2016 in the RHA Annual Exhibition, in Greenacres Gallery, Clew Bay Gallery and Signal Arts Gallery. She has won the Artist Choice Award, 2013 and the Gold Medal Award, 2014 in Art in the Open, Wexford.
In her Artist statement Mary says: ‘When I paint, I feel alive. Engaged. Challenged. I take comfort in my ability to become engrossed in the world around me through the process of painting. However, as a disabled artist, painting has always been a struggle for me. I cannot dismiss my experience and say that being disabled makes no difference. It does, it affects every aspect of my painting. Notwithstanding these difficulties, at the end of the day, I value most highly my enthusiasm for getting out and doing it, in all weathers. I also highly value the big toe on my left foot as a tool for painting. A close third, comes my palette knife. Short, sharp and to the point. Like myself.