As a child Mary was never without a pencil or crayon and paper to draw on. 'I always doodled, and coloring books were a passion of mine.' Mary grew up in the Pasadena, California area. After her high school graduation, whe married and raised two children. Although she enrolled in the Famous Artist's Course, studing commercial art, the demand of raising a family prevented her from continuing and she put aside her dreams of becoming an artist. Her dream finally came true following her retirement from the real estate business in the early 1980's when she enrolled in the Laguna Beach Schoolk of Art, Laguna Beach, California. Her teacher, Roger Armstrong, encouraged her to enter the National Watercolor Society annual competition. Her work was accepted into the exhibit and she received the honor of Signature Member. With a good start in the fundamentals she went on to study with Scott Moore, Linda Stevens Moyer and Robert E. Wood.
Mary was always in love with watercolor. 'It was watercolor from the start.' Her work represents her personal way of seeing, point of view, interpretation and unique expression. 'I find inspiration in everything that surrounds me. I strive to give the viewer a heightened awareness; to stimulate the richness of their surroundings. People often miss the beauty around them. I like to help them see it more fully through my paintings.' Mary Backer's awards and honors are many; her work is included in museum, corporate and private collections and she has been published in leading art publications including Splash 1 & Splash 9. The Best of Flower Painting, Best of Watercolor, Easy Solutions and Art of the American West. Her book 'Watercolor in Bloom' , published by North Light Books,is a best seller.. She is a signature member of the National Watercolor Society, Watercolor West and an Artist Member of the California Art Club.
Mary Backer joined Fine Art America on April 9th, 2007.
