Mary Katherine Windley was born in the agricultural region of northeastern North Carolina, and grew up in a small coastal community located on the Pamlico Sound. For her undergraduate degree she attended two different universities: Appalachian State University and East Carolina University, where she received her BFA in Painting and Drawing.  Mrs. Windley received her MFA from the University of Georgia in Painting and Drawing.  She is currently living, making her art and raising her son, Leo, in Georgia.