Mary was born in London, England in 1922. During the Second World War she went to Algeria as a NAAFI girl and met the Canadian soldier who waas to become her husband.

They married in Vancouver in 1947 and lived in remote Tatlayoko Lake in the Chilcotin area of B.C. for twenty-seven (27) years, where they had a small cattle ranch. They raised three boys there.

In 1973 they made the move to Hope, but it wasn't until 1989 that Mary began to paint, under the tutelage of Dawn Kerr, an artist from Chilliwack, B.C., but she is mostly self-taught. Her paintings are done mostly in oils, taken from photographs. Painting has become her favourite pastime. All she can say is that as a person gets older, some doors close - but others open.

Mary has learned another popular art form, which is "Pine needle Basketry", some samples of which are on display in The Gallery.

Breakfast in Bed
Oil