Mary La Patka became actively involved in watercolor botanical painting and illustration in 2018, working primarily in watercolor on paper. Her botanical artwork has been exhibited at the Willmar Education Art Center Gallery, Iowa Lakes Community College in Estherville, Iowa, and in annual exhibitions of the Great River Chapter of the American Society of Botanical Artists. Her work has also been featured by the Great River Regional Library in its 2022 year-end Capital Campaign, and her paintings are held in private collections.

 In 2024, Mary was selected as Artist in Residence at the LaPointe Center for the Arts on Madeline Island, Wisconsin. She is the recipient of two Minnesota State Arts Board grants and two Southwest Minnesota Arts Council grants. Mary is a member of the American Society of Botanical Artists and its Great River Chapter, which serves artists throughout the Upper Midwest.

 Mary earned a Bachelor’s Degree in Business Administration, with an emphasis in Management and Marketing, from Southwest Minnesota State University. Now retired, she lives in Willmar, Minnesota, with her husband, Tony.