Mary Belcher

Born Ohio, 1951; DC resident since 1970

I became a full-time watercolor painter in 1996, after having worked as a newspaper reporter and then a writer for the Iran-contra Independent Counsel’s office. I sell my work at Eastern Market.

I’ve only recently realized that my artwork reflects my journalistic background. My paintings convey information, particularly my neighborhood maps. I go deeply into my subject matter with details, colors, and historical background—as much as I can cram in.

My paintings don’t work for me unless they give a viewer a true sense of place. I know when a painting is successful when someone comes along, sees the painting, and then tells me their personal connection to the place that’s depicted. It’s thrilling to learn new information about what you’ve painted.

My work is known for its bold colors and rich details. My clients have included the Decatur House Museum, National Building Museum, U.S. Forest Service Visitors Center, White House Historical Association, The Nature Conservancy, Blair House Restoration Fund, Reading Is Fundamental, D.C. Convention Center Authority, DAR Museum, Downtown Business Improvement District and others. My paintings can be seen on old police and fire callboxes in Forest Hills and Cleveland Park and on Cultural Tourism signs in Mt. Pleasant and Deanwood.

Childhood art lessons at the Columbus, Ohio, College of Art & Design instilled in me the principles of design and balance, as well as a gut sense of what I like in the way of art. As an adult, I studied photography at the Corcoran School of Art. I received a journalism degree with honors from the University of Colorado at Boulder.