Marybeth has loved to draw for as long as she can remember. Her childhood interest in art was encouraged by seeing her drawings occasionally published in the children's magazine, Nature Friend. She spent hours sitting in bed copying drawings from favorite illustrated books such as Narnia, The Lord of the Rings, and Rien Poortvliet's Noah's Ark.

The foundation of her art education was a rigorous four-year drawing and painting curriculum at the Carlin Academy of Fine Art, a classical realist painting atelier in Kennett Square, PA (2010-2014). Through Neilson Carlin, Marybeth traces her instructional lineage directly to the academic painting tradition of 19th century France and masters of the Renaissance. In 2014 she was one of nine international artists to win a scholarship to study at the Florence Academy of Art for a summer session in figure painting. Marybeth sought a liberal arts education at Covenant College on Lookout Mountain, GA, receiving a BA with honors in Philosophy and Religion (2018). She currently lives, paints, and teaches in Princeton, NJ. Apart from drawing and painting, Marybeth also has passionate interests in classical music, literature, theology, and plants.

“Making art is part of how I enjoy, explore, and make sense of the world around me and hopefully help others to do the same. I hope to engage with the anguish, the longing, and the joy of human existence, to point to truth, beauty, and goodness in ways that lead viewers to wonder, to see from new perspectives, to “rediscover reality” – whether it be through a small scene of everyday life, a landscape, or a portrait or figurative piece.”

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“I don't deny that there should be priests to remind men that they will one day die. I only say that it is necessary to have another kind of priest, called a poet, to remind men that they are not dead yet.”
- G. K. Chesterton, Manalive (paraphrase)

Portrait fees begin at $3,000 for charcoal, portrait or monochromatic oil and $5,000 for full color oil. Please visit my website to learn more about the process and contact me: www.Marybeth.Art

I begin with a free consultation in person or over phone or email to get an idea of what you're wanting - Who is the painting of? What is the setting (formal, casual, indoor, outdoor, etc.)? What is the size? What is your budget? What is your time frame? Etc. After the consultation I will prepare a quote for you; the price of the painting depends on the size of the painting, the number of people, and the level of detail in the background. If you then choose to proceed we will sign a contract.

Next I will meet with you in person, spend some time getting to know the subject of the painting, and do a photo shoot. I will take a number of different photos and review them with you. I will then make a paint or Photoshop mock-up for you to approve before I begin the painting.

While it is possible for me to work only from photos, when at all possible I prefer to have a live painting session with the subject. This can range from one to three, 2-3 hour sitting sessions with the subject. In this time I will make studies that I will use together with the photos to create the final painting.

As I create the painting I can send you photos of my progress if desired.