I was born and raised as Mary Neidert in Florence, Alabama. I attended the University of North Alabama, and obtained a B.S. in Art. After college, I moved to the Pittsburgh area and worked for a few years in Graphic Design, designing for incredible clients such as the Carnegie Museum, Falling Water, the Andy Warhol Museum, and Oakmont Golf and Country Club, among others. I then attended Carlow University for a 5th year certification in Art Education. I am now PA certified to teach Art, as well as Latin, Math, and Language Arts. I am currently working for a local school district, creating artwork, and crocheting for volunteer work. Currently I am concentrating on commissioned portraits, although I am certainly open to other work.
Having worked in art supplies for many years, I have gained an extensive knowledge on artist materials, and a strong preference for certain brands and materials over others. Here are some of the supplies I use regularly.
Faber Castell Polychromos Color Pencils - Oil based professional quality color pencils, unlike the wax based Prismacolors. Less breakage, and hold a point longer than Prismacolors.
Holbein Duo Aqua Oil - Water soluble, professional grade oil paints. They have essentially the same characteristics of traditional oils (look, feel, drying time) with the added benefit of water cleanup.
Art Spectrum Colorfix Pastel Paper - A sanded pastel paper, available in many warm and cool tones. It holds many layers of color pencil, and is surprisingly easy to erase on, too!
Golden Artist Colors - I still use acrylics occasionally. When I do, Golden is definitely the brand of choice. They have a beautiful color range, as well as a great array of mediums. Especially the GAC series.
Princeton Brushes - Great quality brushes, hold up very well. My favorite is the 6300, a synthetic with the stiffness of a bristle brush, and durability of a synthetic.