Born in San Bernardino and raised on the Palos Verdes Peninsula, Mary-Austin Klein found inspiration in the California landscape from an early age. She studied at the Otis Art Institute in Los Angeles and has lived in the Echo Park district for more than thirty years.

In 2001, she purchased a Mojave Desert cabin, an experience that rekindled her dedication to painting landscapes. Known for her small-scale and highly detailed oil paintings, Klein captures both natural and man-made environments throughout the Southwest. Her collectors include the late American painter Wayne Thiebaud, who admired the intimacy and precision of her work.

Her paintings often begin with sketches and photographs gathered on her extensive travels. She works with pure oil paint on Dura-Lar®, a smooth polyester film that allows for the clarity and detail that define her style. Though intimate in size, her paintings evoke the expansiveness of the desert and the history of the land, instilling both awe and quiet reflection.

Klein’s work has been exhibited at the Riverside Museum of Art, Oceanside Museum of Art, Bakersfield Museum of Art, and Santa Paula Art Museum. She has also been featured in Jackrabbit Homestead by Kim Stringfellow and The Guide to the Wild Mojave by the California Wilderness Coalition.