Mary Engelbreit is one of the most successful and prolific illustrators in America. For over 40 years, she's put out a dizzying array of calendars, cards, books, wrapping paper, fabric, apparel, mugs, magnets and other types of merchandise featuring her whimsical drawings and inspirational quotes.
With over 2,500+ manufactured and licensed products and a large social media following, Engelbreit is notable for her success because she didn't go to art school and she didn't go to business school, yet she's developed a unique and recognizable artistic style and built a small empire that pulls in around $4 million a year. That's a rare feat for a working artist.
In the Beginning
From the age of 11, Engelbreit says she knew she wanted to be an artist. Born and raised in St. Louis, where her Mary Engelbreit Studio is based, she was inspired by artists who created illustrations for children's books, particularly the late Joan Walsh Anglund. By the time she was in high school, Engelbreit was selling hand-drawn greeting cards to a local shop.
By the time she was in high school, Engelbreit was selling hand-drawn greeting cards to a local shop.
Rather than going to college or art school, after graduation Engelbreit got her first job at an art supply store, where she met working artists who gave her the knowledge that she could, in fact, make a living as an artist. Her next job was at a small advertising agency, where she learned about business, contracts and how to approach a career. "I don't think I would have learned those things in art school," she says.
At the age of 22, she officially began her career as a freelance illustrator, creating the now-familiar, nostalgia-laden greeting cards depicting families and pets. She also met her husband, Phil Delano, around that time.
"He was a social worker, but he always supported my art career, and he eventually came to work with me as my business partner," she says.
"It was a no-brainer for us," she adds, when asked if it was difficult to work so closely with her husband. "I trusted him to protect my interests and we got along great. We have different strengths, but we were both interested in the business and talked about it 24/7."
First working out of their house, where she still creates most of her art in a home studio, Engelbreit and Delano found that the business grew organically — they'd get an offer to make a product and check it out as best they could before, more often than not, saying yes. They learned about best business practices as they went along, but always maintained the copyright to her original art.
The year 1983 was a turning point: The couple signed up to exhibit at the National Stationery Show in New York City, bringing just 12 greeting cards with them. Although they were unprepared for the sophistication and broad scope of the show, those cards were unique enough that they garnered attention at the show and were even featured in New York Magazine.
After that exposure, their world expanded dramatically and they were approached by several companies to license Mary Engelbreit products.
Evolving Through Grief
While her business was soaring, her personal life took a tragic turn after her son, Evan, died in 2000 from a gunshot wound. (She and Delano also have another son, Will.) "There is nothing worse than losing a child," she says, "and it changes your entire life — everything. You deal with it day by day, but you never get over it."
Engelbreit and Delano adopted Evan's three-month old daughter, Mikayla, who is now 24 and handles social media for Mary Engelbreit Studios, when her mother wasn't able to care for her. That turn of events was a godsend: "She was such a joy for us and helped us get through the grief," Engelbreit says.
Becoming an Activist One Drawing at a Time
After 30 years of sticking to sweet, safe topics, in 2014 Engelbreit decided to speak out against gun violence after teenager Michael Brown was killed by police in Missouri. In a bold leap of faith, she posted a drawing on her Facebook page titled "No one should have to teach their children this in the USA," and braced for the impact.
"I thought I had ruined my business because it caused a lot of backlash and many people unfollowed me on social media," she recalls, "but then I gained many more followers than I had before."
Today, she regularly conveys her beliefs through a line of Social Justice cards that encourage people to vote (because, as one says, "the Constitution is not going to uphold itself") and urge kindness and inclusion. Of them, she says, "I'd like to think that people are basically good and good will prevail. But the problems today are so dire, you can't disconnect from them. You have to stay aware and do what you can — which I'm trying to do with these cards."
She has also released another line called Mary Engeldark, featuring black-and-white drawings and snarky sayings like "That light at the end of the tunnel? It's a train" and "The older I get the earlier it gets late." The cards are as Mary-like as her traditional cards, but instead of making you sigh with satisfaction, they often make you laugh out loud. "We would joke about doing cards like these in the studio and now that we've done them, they've sold like crazy," she says.
ME's Artistic Process
So which comes first? The quote or the illustration?
"I choose the quote or phrase first and then do the illustration," Engelbreit says. "It's fun to look for the phrases, and it's easy to find them today on the Internet."
"If you have something you love to do in your life, it doesn't matter how old you are."
She does most of her drawing at home at night — often late into the night. "It's not a job," she says, "and I'm never short on ideas." She draws first in pencil and then in pen and ink, before coloring in the intricately drawn illustrations with markers and colored pencils over the course of two to three days.
Now 72, she hates the idea of aging, but she is glad to be doing it. "I've had a lot of health problems, which is a drag, but I'm just so surprised when I hear how old I am because I don't feel it beyond the usual aches and pains," Engelbreit says.
She still works every day and has no plans to retire. "If you have something you love to do in your life, it doesn't matter how old you are," she adds.
This article originally appeared on Next Avenue. It was published on August 21, 2024.
Writer Nancy Monson