Her love of art started at an early age. Both her grandfather and mother were noted archeaologists and artists who used to draw what they saw at the sites and caves they discovered. Her older sister, Encarna also was a very talented artist who loved to draw and paint birds, children and animals. 

 While she grew up in Madrid, she was fortunate to be able to spend many hours exploring the Prado and studying the works of Goya, Velazquez, El Greco, Titian and many of the greatest artist of Europe, at the same time she attented The University of Madrid where she studied Spanish Literature and Art. Her love of reading  and writing is very deep as well.  

When Maria graduated, she moved to a city in the south of Spain in the early 80s to teach at a High School. Puerto De Santa Maria (Puerto) was a fishing village, so she was exposed to the beauty of the sea, walled cities, and the rich culture of Andalucia, where art and music are the passions of everyone. While living in Puerto, Maria worked with several local artist to refine her art skills: she settled on oil painting as her preferred medium. 

While in Puerto, she met her husband, an American. Maria moved to the US in the mid 80s and eventually came to live near San Francisco with her husband and two children. This was another fortunate move because of the great art museums and flourishing artistic scene in the San Francisco Bay Area. While Maria was teaching, she continued to paint. 

Today, as a retired teacher, Maria devotes her full time to her passions; painting, writing and her grandchildren.