“No matter what medium I explore, my central theme remains the same: I speak with emotion – always from the heart.” Mary Jo Strauss

Mary Jo Strauss was born in the fifties in Dayton, Ohio. Her early art training was academic in nature, focusing on life drawing and realism at Ohio State University. Post-graduation, she continued to study architectural and interior design in Arizona.

After moving to New York City in the 1970's, Mary Jo began studying hair design with Jean Louis David at Henri Bendel’s. Becoming immersed in a long and successful career as a hair stylist, she did not pick up a paint brush for many years. Once she retired, Mary Jo renewed her passion for painting and studied in Bali, Indonesia under the world-renowned Balinese painter, Karja. This experience, combined with her past studies, formed a new style for her in the abstract and modern world of art.