Born in a small town in Queens, New York, Mary Gulino knew from an early age that art was her passion and enjoyed exploring many forms of art and photography throughout her childhood.  At the age of 20, Mary bought her first 35mm camera and began her long love affair with the art of photography.  She began teaching herself the finer techniques and realized that through photography, she was learning how to see all that surrounded her with an artistic eye and a quiet mind, seeing beauty in even the most ordinary and often-overlooked subjects.

In 1996, after a serious car accident, Mary moved to Arizona where she pursued her passion for art and photography further.  In 2000, she graduated with a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in Intermedia at Arizona State University, receiving the Summa Cum Laude honor with a 4.0 GPA.

Mary began her career as an art and photography instructor at the leisure education level in early 2002.  Today, she provides instruction in all levels of photography and all mediums of painting and drawing, both in group workshops and with one-on-one personalized lessons.  She has a keen eye for color, design, balance and perspective, and incorporates these important components into each lesson and into her own art and photography. Although she enjoys all forms of photography, Mary has a special affinity for landscape photography, especially of the California coastline.

Having a strong knowledge of good design elements, Mary approaches her work intuitively.  Drawing inspiration from Impressionistic and Post-Impressionistic artists such as Claude Monet and Vincent van Gogh, Mary enjoys seeing the texture of paint in her work, as well as having a clear depiction of where light is emanating from and its ever-changing nuances.  Painting in a loose, free manner, Mary applies paint thickly to her canvas to show a sense of human expression.  The pure act of painting and mixing colors feeds her soul.  She looks at the blank canvas like a chunk of marble, waiting for its true beauty to emerge from within.  Mary’s vibrant paintings portray a great sense of excitement about life.  This enthusiasm, captured on canvas, exhibits a visual energy and vibration that stimulates the senses.  Her hope is to pass this excitement on, for her art to be enjoyed in living spaces as well as work environments, and to inspire and elevate all those who bear witness to it.

Mary is loved by her students, who attend her various workshops, many of whom have been continuously-repeating students, some for as long as seven years.  She conducts her workshops in a casual, relaxed, friendly, family-like environment, which encourages students to return.  She enjoys working with artists and photographers at all levels of experience and expertise, from beginner to seasoned professional.  Mary encourages her students to experiment with different styles and techniques and challenges them to explore new ways to express their creative voices. Students are encouraged to expand upon their current levels of knowledge, becoming more comfortable applying new techniques to their work.