Maureen was born in Portsmouth, VA but has lived most of her life in the Boston area. Her love of drawing and painting began early in childhood. Her father was the creative soul in the family, and she believes that the artist in him was passed on to her. She spent a lot of time in the South when she was a child, playing in Alabama's woods and creeks. There began her love affair with trees and the woodlands. Growing up was hard in those days, and with the loss of her father, she found refuge in those woods, which she paints today.
As life marched on, raising two boys and a career in social work meant that art had to take a back seat. Maureen had always wanted to be an artist, and following an early retirement she began studying at North River Arts Society and South Shore Art Center where she fell in love with the pastel medium under the instruction of Donna Rossetti Bailey and Liz Haywood Sullivan. There began the journey.
Considering herself a lifelong student, Maureen continues to further her studies by taking workshops given by internationally recognized pastel artists such as Ken Elliot, Tom Christopher, Casey Klahn, Ed Chesnovich, Tony Alain, and Kim Lordier. These masters have influenced her style, which has evolved from a realistic approach to a more contemporary perspective, flecked with bold colors, strong lines, and light.“I am always trying to develop and improve my work. It drives me forward.”
In 2010, she was elected to signature membership in the Pastel Society of America, N.Y. and signature membership in the Pastel Society of Cape Cod in 2013. Maureen was also honored with the Master Circle Award from the International Association of Pastel Societies in 2015 and in 2016 she became a South Shore Art Center Gallery Artist. Today, Maureen is an award-winning artist who exhibits throughout New England, New York, and New Mexico.
