Mary Reed, an Idaho native, spent her early years in Boise. She returned to Boise and then moved to the Palouse region after attending the University of California and completing a research project in Croatia in the 1970s.

Although she has always been interested in art, it wasn’t until later in life that she became a serious student of watercolor studying with Linda Wallace. As a historian, she works with Idaho museums and cultural organizations, traveling throughout Idaho. The rich variety of landscapes in the state provides inspiration for many of her paintings