Iconic Artist. Thinker. Worrier.
For everyone who loves Mary Engelbreit, the artist’s work brings to mind delightful, old-fashioned drawings. The most memorable — the girl with the big hat, big glasses and big personality — is based on Engelbreit’s grandmother and drawn with the artist’s own hated stick-straight hair.
Drawing came naturally to Engelbreit, even as a child. And what began as a hobby morphed into a world-famous business. In high school, Engelbreit designed greeting cards to sell at Froehlich’s for 50 cents apiece. The budding entrepreneur eventually took her cards to the New York Stationery Show, where her little table was dwarfed by corporate booths. As luck would have it, New York Magazine noticed her and ran a story that brought tremendous attention and licensing deals.
The business has been a family affair from the start: Engelbreit and husband Phil Delano—whom she calls “the world’s greatest guy”—built it together; now their son, Will, is president and Engelbreit’s sister, Alexa Anderson, is the office manager. (The couple’s daughter, Mikayla, is in college and focused on athletics.)
Engelbreit’s brand continues to thrive after 45 years, but it’s her newest venture that is exciting her: She designed the sets and costumes for The Muny’s 2019 production of Roald Dahl’s “Matilda,” which opens Aug. 5 and runs through Aug. 11. As a self-proclaimed fan of the book, Engelbreit explained, “It’s such fun to see a story I love take place in Mary Engelbreit world!”
I FEEL MOST ALIVE, CONTENT AND USEFUL WHEN I’M DRAWING.
The act of drawing is fun and satisfying. Where do ideas come from? Got me! But they keep coming. A creative needs time to think because a lot of decisions go into a drawing. I’m happy to have this life and lucky to still have it after 45 years.
I HAD A SECURE, LUCKY CHILDHOOD.
When I found out I was adopted, I remember completely losing it, getting up and crying. But years later when I was talking to my mother about my reaction, she said I didn’t even bat an eye when she told me. I was so close to my parents that I haven’t thought much about my biological parents.
I DRAW MY WAY THROUGH DIFFICULT EMOTIONS.
When Michael Brown was killed in Ferguson, I had to get out my anger and sadness. I drew a picture of an African American mother showing her baby how to hold his “hands up.” The accompanying message read, “No one should have to teach their children this in the USA.” I posted it on Facebook and lost 10,000 followers in one day. But another 100,000 joined my page! I was surprised everyone wasn’t horrified by what happened.
THERE’S NOTHING YOU CAN SAY ABOUT LOSING A CHILD.
My son, Evan, was 19 when he passed away from a gunshot wound. It’s the worst thing that will ever happen. You get through it by just putting one foot in front of the other. I kept working because it kept me sane. His daughter, Mikayla, was 3 months old at the time and we adopted her. She is so funny and smart and she’s a very strong person. Sometimes, I worry that she’s too strong.
HOW I GET BY WITH A CLOSE CIRCLE OF FRIENDS.
There are friends I’ve known since we were babies because our parents were friends. Some of them moved to exotic locals but we stay in touch. They’ve known me all my life – the real me – and are not wildly impressed by my success. We’ve been through everything together, so we speak in shorthand.
“NO” IS A COMPLETE SENTENCE.
My good friend, Karen Foss, taught me that if somebody asks me to do something and I don’t want to do it, all I have to say is “No.” She reminded me that they’ll just move on to somebody else. It lifted a weight off my shoulders. You don’t even need to give a reason! Just say no.
HOW MANY TIMES CAN YOU DRAW KIDS AT A BIRTHDAY PARTY?
I’ve always been a “nice girl” and still am, but I also have a dark side. My alter ego can be snarky and I finally let it loose on a line of products we call EngelDark. It’s outselling the happy, upbeat prints! Some of the messages are: “I don’t hold grudges. I remember facts.” And “I’m sorry about the mean, awful, accurate things I say.”
