At the age of nineteen, Maria de Bueil was accepted to L’Ecole Nationale Supérieure des Beaux-Arts in Paris where she spent several years immersed in French culture. After graduating, she moved to Vancouver, where she was represented by the Simon Patrich Gallery. While reading to her children, Maria rediscovered the beauty of picture-book art. The idea of transferring her own craft into picture books inspired Maria to create her own stories and illustrations, with the hope of introducing children into the wonderful world of storytelling and fine art. Currently, Maria lives in Calgary with her husband and their four children, and divides her time between painting large canvases and creating picture books.