A woman of varied interests and talents, Mary Montague Sikes is a world traveler, published author and baseball fan as well as an established fine artist. She often draws inspiration for her paintings and mixed media pieces from her trips abroad as in her Huatulco series with its bright yellows and oranges.
As a writer, she has been a journalist for the Richmond Times Dispatch and the Newport News Daily Press and has published nine fiction novels ranging in genre from mystery to romance. Her adorable children's book, An Artful Animal Alphabet, came into existence while she was meeting a social media challenge to make a painting a day.
When not painting, traveling or writing, Sikes keeps track of her beloved St. Louis Cardinals, even traveling to watch their spring training in Florida.
When asked, "What are you creating now that you are at home for the time being?", Sikes replied, "Getting ready to do some floral-ish abstract paintings, big ones, I want to play with making larger images."