ARTIST BIOGRAPHY

Originally from the temperate climate of Grand Rapids Michigan, Mast has now made her home in the tropical community of Zephyrhills, Florida for the past several years. Previous to that she lived in the middle of the Rocky Mountains in Colorado living off the grid in a 25-foot RV with no running water or electricity while she was building her solar passive house. This type of housing, called an Earth ship, is made entirely out of recycled tires and other recycled materials.

While she was pregnant with her son, Marilee discovered that she was a talented painter and artist and has been creating works of art ranging from fine Oils in a figurative or surrealist style to acrylic murals, along with a Mixed Media Series of Whimsically Primitive Masks. Marilee suffers from a painful chronic illness. The true underlying source eludes doctors, but the multitude of symptoms keeps her busy with doctors appointments and a diverse array of treatment plans. Often times the pain is so great and the struggle for survival is reflected in the work she creates. The Fine Oil works are stories taken from her life experience and the masks she creates are a way for her to cover the pain she feels so deeply on a daily basis from her illness.