Read last month’s blog to learn about Mary's creative process and her transition from Australia to Italy. This month, our marketing team learned more about Mary's adventures in Italia!

When Mary first arrived in Italy she enrolled in a Language school to study Italian. Mary took about 4 years of Italian classes in the US before she moved to Italy and although she was able to speak Italian, she needed more practice understanding what people were saying to her! After just one year, Mary was fluent in Italian. She easily had conversations with locals and even had dreams in Italian!

Mary worked as a freelance fashion illustrator for many big name magazines like Vogue and Mani di Fata. She was living in Como, just a 20 minute train ride outside Milan, the fashion capital of Italy, and was regularly connecting with business women in the fashion world. She also joined the US Expatriate Women’s Club, where Mary met some wonderful women that were very supportive of her career.

By this time, Mary worked as a fashion illustrator for magazines like Mani di Fata and Vogue while also working on Pipsqueak cards with printers in the US. Mary brought a few of her cards to the Women’s Club and was grateful and excited about all the support from the women in the Club.

One especially supportive person was Luisa Paccagnella, the Editor of the magazine Caravel America and the host of the TV Show Caravel America. Luisa loved Mary’s art and her ambition and asked her to be on the TV show. On the show, Luisa called her “Walt Disney in a Mini Skirt.” On the show, Mary did not disappoint! Her enthusiasm for her work and her talent was easy to see, and she even wore a mini skirt!

The excitement for Mary didn’t stop there. After her appearance on Caravel America, she was profiled by Donna Moderna, a magazine equivalent to Women’s Day here in the US.

Mary describes these times as exciting and rewarding. She truly loved creating art and was being published and interviewed by big names in the media. What a dream!

Basta poco per avere successo: una fantasia viva, una mano sicura, e tanto voglia di dire quello che si ha dentro. Just enough to Succeed: a living fantasy, a steady hand, and a great desire to say what you have inside. Stay tuned for more stories about Mary's work in Italy and more behind the art stories!