Mary Ahern is a classically trained artist working in both traditional and digital mediums. While working full time in the computer graphics industry she always maintained her own working studio, producing Fine Art in traditional mediums. This left-brained/right-brained synergy has been instrumental in allowing her to achieve her high level of success in a variety of venues. Throughout the years her Art has been shown in museums and galleries and is represented in private collections.

During her professional career in the industry, Mary was in the television & broadcast production fields in National and Regional Sales and Marketing positions. She's taught and lectured extensively about computer graphics, and has been the focus of industry publications. Having received a concussion on the glass ceiling, Mary launched her own company, Online Design, in the early ‘90’s. With this endeavor she was able to very successfully combine her graphic arts talent and her extensive computer graphics experience.

Happily and contentedly, Mary now creates Fine Art Paintings on a full-time basis using her own extensive gardens for source material. Combining 30 years of painting experience with 25 years working in the Computer Graphics industry she creates Botanical Mixed Media Paintings in both Digital and Traditional forms.

When Mary is painting in oils she uses a classical approach to process derived from the working methodology of the 17th Century Golden Age of Dutch floral painters which is epitomized by the layering of paint over a grisaille underpainting. Rejecting their more traditional style of botanical imagery, she brings a fresh, new and modern use of color and scale to these centuries old glazing techniques.

Her Digital Mixed Media Paintings build upon her expertise in that classical process which allows her to create her compositions and paint directly on the computer using a pressure sensitive stylus and tablet. She paints the lighting, the color, the depth and dimension of the whole, making a unified bouquet, flower arrangement, still life or plant portrait.

As a Traditional Fine Artist painting in oils and watercolors for over 30 years and having spent the last 25 years immersed in computer graphics, Mary created this new Genre of Fine Art for herself. Digital Mixed Media Painting emphasizes her skills as a painter while capitalizing on her left-brained/right-brained synergy of creativity and technology.