This Missouri artist's work is instantly recognizable due to her recurring use of black and white checks, black with white polka dots, cherries and small flowers. She set up her own art studio in the family linen closet at age 9 in 1961. As an adult, she originally wanted to illustrate books but was persuaded to try her hand at greeting cards. Her first to be nationally distributed featured a stack of bowls on a chair and the message, "Life is just a chair of bowlies." Her cards were a huge hit and she founded her own company in 1982. Her art appeared on calendars, fabric, dishes and more. She did eventually illustrate books for children, including versions of Mother Goose and The Night Before Christmas, but she has continued designing greeting cards and has a darkly humorous line, called Engledark. This is Mary Engelbreit.
