Mary Engelbreit
Encyclopedia
Mary Engelbreit, born June 5, 1952, is a graphic artist and children's book illustrator who launched her own magazine, Mary Engelbreit's Home Companion in 1996. Mary Engelbreit was born in St. Louis, Missouri
and began her career by designing and creating greeting cards.
Interested in art throughout her school years, the artist eventually began to work for a local advertising company, Hot Buttered Graphics. Hoping to work as an illustrator
of children's books
, she shopped her portfolio around New York City
without success. At the suggestion of one art director, she began working in greeting card
s; her first nationally distributed greeting card featured a malapropism
that played off the old saying, "Life is just a bowl of cherries," and showed a girl looking at a chair piled high with bowls, with the legend "Life is just a chair of bowlies."
Engelbreit has been married to Phil Delano, a social worker, since 1977; in 1986 they formed their own company, presently called Mary Engelbreit Studios. The couple had two children, Evan, born 1980, and Will, born 1983. Evan died in June 2000 She has her own star on the St. Louis Walk of Fame
.
Mary Engelbreit
St. Louis, Missouri
St. Louis is an independent city on the eastern border of Missouri, United States. With a population of 319,294, it was the 58th-largest U.S. city at the 2010 U.S. Census. The Greater St...
and began her career by designing and creating greeting cards.
Biographical information
Engelbreit attributes her beginnings in art to getting eyeglasses in second grade and being able to see details of the world around her clearly for the first time. After meeting her first artist, at age 9, she became convinced she needed her own studio space, which her mother helped set up in the family linen closet.Interested in art throughout her school years, the artist eventually began to work for a local advertising company, Hot Buttered Graphics. Hoping to work as an illustrator
Illustrator
An Illustrator is a narrative artist who specializes in enhancing writing by providing a visual representation that corresponds to the content of the associated text...
of children's books
Children's literature
Children's literature is for readers and listeners up to about age twelve; it is often defined in four different ways: books written by children, books written for children, books chosen by children, or books chosen for children. It is often illustrated. The term is used in senses which sometimes...
, she shopped her portfolio around New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
without success. At the suggestion of one art director, she began working in greeting card
Greeting card
A greeting card is an illustrated, folded card featuring an expression of friendship or other sentiment. Although greeting cards are usually given on special occasions such as birthdays, Christmas or other holidays, they are also sent to convey thanks or express other feeling. Greeting cards,...
s; her first nationally distributed greeting card featured a malapropism
Malapropism
A malapropism is an act of misusing or the habitual misuse of similar sounding words, especially with humorous results. An example is Yogi Berra's statement: "Texas has a lot of electrical votes," rather than "electoral votes".-Etymology:...
that played off the old saying, "Life is just a bowl of cherries," and showed a girl looking at a chair piled high with bowls, with the legend "Life is just a chair of bowlies."
Engelbreit has been married to Phil Delano, a social worker, since 1977; in 1986 they formed their own company, presently called Mary Engelbreit Studios. The couple had two children, Evan, born 1980, and Will, born 1983. Evan died in June 2000 She has her own star on the St. Louis Walk of Fame
St. Louis Walk of Fame
The St. Louis Walk of Fame honors well-known people from St. Louis, Missouri, who made contributions to culture of the United States. All inductees were either born in the Greater St. Louis area or spent their formative or creative years there...
.
Mary Engelbreit