Mary's paintings are representational with a twist and are about situations and conversations. The principals, usually animals and/or human figures, are on a stage. However, often they will have rewritten their lines even surprising the author/artist. Their world is complex and gently surrealistic. The human figures are young even baby-like, but to the artist they are ageless, magical and wise. Wells creates situations in which sometimes people and animals confront and relate to each other and other times with animals alone dominating the scene with their intelligence and beauty. Usually, the scenes are created from Wells' imagination, or "inner landscape" while a few have their roots from real situations and she has been accused of being "not a nice person" for placing unwitting subjects in her surrealistic dramas. Wells uses patterns and symbols such as money, dice or eyeglasses to weave the story together and to invite close observation and interpretation. Her paintings may often include postage stamps and other paper items.