Mary K. McCardel has been an artist since she could hold a crayon. Throughout her childhood, she was always making "things," drawing, and painting. For instance, with the help of her sister, Maureen, she painted her mother's kitchen cabinets with a basting brush and a stick of butter. To this day, she loves being "messy". That is why she went to school to study art.

She has a Bachelor of Arts in fine arts from Wheeling Jesuit University. During her years there, she exhibited her work at the Stifel Fine Arts Gallery and on campus. She won a Merit Award at the annual Stifel Holiday Exhibit in 1978. She has also won numerous awards at the college's Fine Arts Exhibit. After leaving college she was the Director of the Eastern Ohio Arts Council in St. Clairsville, Ohio, where she was responsible for setting up Artists in the Schools programs, art exhibits, and film festivals.

Mary attended Ohio University to pursue a Master's degree in art education. During this time, she displayed work in New York City at an up and coming women artists exhibit. 

Since her college years, Mary has worked with children as the Director of the Holy Family Child Care Center, a Sunday school teacher, a children’s instructor at the Stifel Fine Arts center, and most recently, the Art Instructor at Wells Academy in the Steubenville City Schools District. Mary still takes time to express herself by painting decorative items.