Background
Mary is a full-time artist based in Texas. She was previously a tenured product manager in the tech industry and quit in 2022. During this time she started painting again and fell in love with capturing the beauty around her in her artwork. It became the perfect medium for her to explore her love for her Catholic faith, South Indian culture, and the great outdoors.
She first stumbled upon watercolor pet portraits during quarantine and spent a year honing her skills. Through these portraits, she gained experience in sharing her artwork and raised money for some incredible non-profits along the way. From there, she revisited her old love for landscapes and oil painting and began her first series.
After growing up around icon paintings in the Syro Malabar church and witnessing the saints come to life through her aunt's work, Mary decided to explore iconography in 2023. She completed a workshop under the expert guidance of Veronica Royal and was then inspired to pursue icon writing more seriously.
Inspiration
Mary's inspiration for landscape painting comes primarily from her desire to capture the "epiphanies of beauty" that St. John Paul II so wonderfully describes. Mary was then fortunate enough to live in the Pacific Northwest for a few years and drew more inspiration from the hiking community. Her first landscape series features some of the breathtaking views that made her fall in love with the Pacific Northwest.
Landscapes have also been a source of inspiration ever since her mom first requested pieces that reminded her of her childhood in India. Upon completion of the PNW series, she will be starting a series dedicated to her grandparents and her South Indian heritage. As a first generation American citizen, her aim is to showcase the connection that can be established with ancestral homes and landscapes.
Mary will be continuing her practice of icon writing through commissions and workshops. She has been inspired by the lives of the saints, the deep spiritual and ancient practice of icon writing, as well as the witness of others' devotion and love for the saints in each icon.
Watercolor pet portraits were the catalyst for Mary's art career and the emphasis has always been on bringing art into homes around the world and giving back to the community in the process. These pieces will always be non-profit and can be commissioned throughout the year.
Experience
- 04-2012, Esther Massry Gallery - High School Regional Juried Art Exhibition
- 04-2023, Royal Icon Studio - Iconography Workshop with Veronica Royal
- 04-2024, National Eucharistic Congress Exhibit in Mystic, CT
- 05-2024, Featured artist in Bishop Shawn McKnight's 111 Sacred Works of Art initiative
- 08-2024, Studied iconography under Father Kooroth in Kerala, India