Hi! My name is Mary Dean, and I am from Butler, Pennsylvania.

I have always had a love of art and felt that if I could do anything I wanted in life, I would become an artist.  I tried painting and took several classes at a local college, but this was not completely satisfying.  I continued searching, and the answer came to me through my youngest son’s sixth grade graduation banquet committee.  I was asked to do sketches of 60+ students & teachers to be framed for the event. These rough sketches seemed to slightly improve and become more realistic with each one completed, and I loved working on them! I realized I had an incredible amount to learn to improve my work, so I began to study portraiture and illustration & continued to practice unendingly!

Since then, I have completed many commissioned portraits and many just as gifts to friends and family.  I truly love the joy it brings people in being able to present a pencil portrait as a gift or frame it as a keepsake.  I have seen enough tears of happiness to encourage me to continue pursuing my dreams & hopefully bring people closer together with these gifts of love.

If you are interested in a hand-drawn work of art for an upcoming occasion, please visit the Ordering Information page to find out how you can commission your own custom portrait.

Thank you for taking time to visit!