ABOUT
Mary Jo Austin is an award-winning artist who finds much of her inspiration in one of her favorite places on earth - the beach. Using vibrant colors and bold brushstrokes, her paintings capture the natural beauty of the shoreline and the people who live, work and play there. Her expressive style invites the viewer to experience each painting personally; recalling a childhood memory, reliving the sights and sounds of the beach, or merely enjoying people watching at its finest.
Her love of children and art led Mary Jo to the University of Maryland, where she received a BA in Art Education. While pursuing an active career as an Art Teacher, she received her MA in Painting from Montclair State University. She continued to teach art for many years at the middle school and high school level. Mary Jo now paints full-time and is a long-time member of the Ocean County Artists' Guild. In addition, she teaches many classes, conducts painting demonstrations, participates in a variety of exhibitions, and is inovlved in other professional organizations such as the American Artists' Professional League and the National Art Educators Association, to name a few.
A beach-goer and part-time Jersey shore resident all her life, she is now happy to call Lavallette, New Jersey her full-time home.