Mary
Engelbreit

Artist and Healthy
Vision Advocate

Cherubic children with big, expressive eyes. Checkered borders. Plump cherries. Wire-rimmed spectacles. And, Scottie dogs. These are some of the trademark elements of Mary Engelbreit, one of America’s favorite artists and illustrators.

Her instantly recognizable style is seen on millions of greeting cards sold annually, as well as on thousands of products that range from fabric and crafts to children’s books and home décor items. When Mary sat down with us in her St. Louis, MO, studio, she told us about her career and how the eyes and even eyeglasses have played a leading role in both her own development and that of her most beloved (and bespectacled) character, Ann Estelle.

Engelbreit is so prolific that many people think she is a brand, not a real person. But she is both real and very passionate about her work. Often compared to Norman Rockwell, she has the uncanny ability to capture and embrace the magic moments of everyday living. For her, those moments include wearing eyeglasses.

SECOND GRADE … Like Ann Estelle, Engelbreit got glasses as a young girl. “I was in second grade, loved to read, and was holding the books up so close that my parents knew it was time.”

LEAVES AND PLANES … She remembers seeing the world differently in that first pair of glasses. “I was only eight, but I noticed new things— like individual leaves on trees and airplanes way up in the sky. Things I had never seen before.”

CUTE FRAMES … Englbreit has experienced what all of us eventually do—presbyopia, the inability to see up close. “It was frustrating at first, but I actually like finding cute frames for reading.”

TOTAL OUTFIT … Her characters are colorful and so, says Engelbreit, is her eyewear wardrobe. “Glasses are certainly a part of the total outfit. I have them in every color and style.” Her favorites? “A pair of light tortoise shell glasses.”

SUN WEAR … As for sunglasses, Engelbreit says they’re a must. “I get headaches if I don’t.”

EYE EXAMS… Most important of all, she says, are regular eye exams. “I see my eye doctor at least twice a year. My eyes ARE my career.”

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Choices is a magazine written for eyecare providers to share with their patients.