Maria was born in Croydon, London in 1985 but has subsequently lived the West Country for most of her life. She obtained a degree in Fine Art, Painting from the University of Plymouth (in Exeter) in 2007. She mostly paints outdoors ‘en plein air’ and seeks impressionistic portrayal of light and colour; she also enjoys the occasional still-life in the studio when the weather is against her. Maria has exhibited with the South West Academy, the Royal Institute of Oil painters, the Chelsea Art Society and the New English Art Club among others and recently exhibited at Capturing the Moment, the inaugural show of the British Plein Air Painters at the Menier Gallery, London (Oct 2018). Maria was a contestant on Sky Arts Landscape Artist of the Year 2018. Prizes include the Julian Barrow Award for a Painting (CaS 2017) and Windsor and Newton Young Artist 2nd Prize (ROI 2017).
