Mary Alice began to paint at the age of 12. She studied art at Haverford High School in suburban Philadelphia and received the Art Award her senior year. As a high school student she won a scholarship to attend Moore Institute of Art in Philadelphia on Saturday mornings. This program was the beginning of her formal education in art, exploring different mediums and techniques. After a 25-year career as a kindergarten teacher she began to explore oil painting in evening classes at Neumann College in Aston, PA. She also studied watercolor techniques under Jean Ryan at Neumann.

The artist has taken classes at the Ocean City Arts Center with Bill Hopkins, Marie Natale, and Kim Wieland. In Florida, she has studied watercolor and plein air painting with Karen Beauprie, Priscilla Coote, William Welch, and Sean Callahan at The Studios of Key West and plein air painting with Jim Salem at Sugarloaf Lodge. Winter of 2015 in Key West, she attended a plein air workshop taught by artist Vladislav Yeliseyev. Mary Alice is a member of three plein air groups in Florida: Peace River Plein Air in Punta Gorda, Plain Air Painters in Key West, and Urban Sketchers in Key West.

It was Marie Natale who encouraged Mary Alice to enter shows. 2006 was a banner year. Her watercolor Ocean's Wave won First Place and Best in Show at the Cape May County Senior Art Show, won third place in the watercolor division of the New Jersey State Show in Flemington, and was selected to hang in a juried exhibit at the Ocean City Art Center. In 2007, Mary Alice received an honorable mention for her watercolor 5th Street Jetty at the Cape May Senior Art Show and her watercolor Surfer's Wave was chosen to hang in a juried exhibit at the Ocean City City Art Center. In 2008, another watercolor, Stormy Sea, was chosen to hang in a juried exhibit at the Ocean City City Art Center.

For the past three years, Mary Alice has been doing commissions for businesses, homeowners, and friends. Examples can be found on this website under Plein Air paintings that have been sold.