Hi, I’m Mary

My story as an artist begins with chemistry.

I spent much of my career as a professor of organic chemistry and later as a university administrator. Chemistry taught me to pay close attention to materials, structure, proportion, and detail. It also taught me to begin with curiosity, to ask questions, to experiment, and to discover. Looking back, I see that these qualities have much in common with the way I approach art.

In the fall of 2019, I took an afternoon workshop in longleaf pine needle basketry at a college where I was working. The college has a longleaf pine forest on its campus, making the connection to the material especially memorable. I was drawn immediately to the pine needles and to the process of coiling. Since that first workshop, I have been self-taught, learning through experimentation, study, and practice. Over time, I developed my own style and began exploring the possibilities of combining longleaf pine needles with semiprecious gems and fossils.

In late 2023, I found myself entering a new chapter of life without knowing what would come next. Pine needle basketry was already there. The meditative process of coiling and the experience of creating something new gave me a sense of focus and purpose during that transition.

In many ways, art saved me.

Today, I see a deep connection between my scientific and artistic lives. Both begin with curiosity. Both depend on observation and experimentation. Both require patience and precision, and both leave room for discovery.

White Trillium Studio is where those threads come together, in the materials I choose, the designs I develop, and the work I create.