Mary Engelbreit (b. 1952) =
German-American Artist. Best known for cherries, checks, cottage
roses, dots, hearts, Scotties, and Ann Estelle, whose namesake is
Mary's maternal grandmother and wears glasses like Mary (second
grade).
Once upon a time, a little girl was
born on June 5 to "Papa" (d. 1990) and Mary Lois
Engelbreit and she grew up in St. Louis, Missouri along with her
younger sisters, Alexa and Peggy. She loved to draw and her first
studio was in a linen closet. Some of her childhood memories are the
shopping trips downtown with her mother for new straw bonnets for her
and her sisters to wear to church on Easter Sunday and rambling
together through flea markets.
When her high school guidance counselor
at Visitation Academy recommended an university educator degree, Mary
ignored the advice, skipping both university and art design school
and immediately began her career in the arts at various jobs such as
a free-lancer, after school at an art supply store, then at an
advertising agency, as an editorial cartoonist for the St. Louis
Post-Dispatch, and for greeting card companies. Early on she made it
a policy to associate with supportive people.
Like one of her illustrated
fairy-tales, Mary began dating Phil Delano, an administrator in the
county juvenile court system, in 1974 and married producing two sons,
Evan in 1980 and Will, 1983. Eventually a granddaughter, Mikayla and
a storybook cottage came along.
Mary's dearest dream was illustrating
children's books, like the vintage ones her mother read to her
growing up and in 1993, she finally realized it with the first of
many, Hans Christian Andersen's Snow Queen. Many of her
nostalgic and charming designs are translated into other products and
today, her "Empire of Cuteness," is a multi-million-dollar
company. Yes, she bloomed where she planted.
Quote: "She creates things
that touch your heart. Her drawings have that nice quality. Crudeness
and vulgarity hit us in the face everyday. Mary's pictures capture
something we love and are losing fast." (Mary Lois Engelbreit.)
More to Read:
2. Mary Engelbreit: The Art and the
Artist. By Patrick Regan with Mary Engelbreit. Andrews & McMeel,
Kansas City, MO., 1996.
3. Home Sweet Home: A Journey Through
Mary's Dream Home. By Patrick Regan. Andrews McMeel, KCMO, 2004.
4. Mary Engelbreit: Cross Stitch For
All Seasons. Meredith Press, 1997.
5. Missouri Legends: Famous People from
the Show-Me State. By John W. Brown, Reedy Press, St. Louis, Mo;
2008.
Read biographies of Mary's Favorite
Artists: Joan Walsh Auglund, Seymour Chwast, Milton Glaser,
Johnny Gruelle, Peter Max, Maxfield Parrish, and Jessie Wilcox Smith
Places to Visit:
1. Mary's Studio, 4814 Washington Blvd., Ste. 230, St. Louis (visit by appointment only)
2. Andrews McMeel Publishing Co, Kansas City
Extras for (Home) Educators:
Many classroom and teaching aids can be found such as bulletin board displays, calendars, charts, coloring, and children's books at Mary's website. Click on the link to her website above.
Extras for (Home) Educators:
Many classroom and teaching aids can be found such as bulletin board displays, calendars, charts, coloring, and children's books at Mary's website. Click on the link to her website above.
