Mary Watkins studied at Columbia College of Chicago, earning her degree in theatre design with a minor in fine arts. While working in theater, she developed a deep passion for oil painting, drawn to the expressive potential of color, light, and movement.

Now working as a fine artist, she explores two distinct yet complementary styles: expressive landscapes and introspective surrealism.

Her landscape paintings, inspired by a blend of captured images and memories, burst with color and shifting light, offering whimsical interpretations of the world around us. These works capture fleeting moments—sunlight filtering through trees, the glow of a distant horizon—transforming familiar places into dreamlike reflections of time and emotion.

In contrast, her surrealist paintings delve into the contradictions of human emotion, exploring themes of longing, self-expectation, and transformation. Recurring imagery—interacting figures, hands, and celestial elements—reflects the internal dialogues we have within ourselves. These works are deeply personal, shaped by introspection and a relentless search for meaning, offering a visual language for the quiet tension of self-discovery.

Through both styles, Mary’s work is united by a fascination with movement, light, and the ever-shifting nature of perception—whether capturing the changing sky over a familiar landscape or the unseen emotions that shape our inner worlds.