Potter's paintings at Roche Court were created between 1944 and 1979, showcasing over three decades of the artist’s work, and allowing for an observation of the development of her vision. In 1918, one month before the end of the First World War, Potter began her career at The Slade, where she studied under Philip Wilson Steer and Henry Tonks, who were both members of the New English Art Club. The influence of Steer, particularly his use of colour and more Impressionist style, can be detected throughout Mary Potter’s work. Steer taught Potter alongside the Professor of Fine Art, Henry Tonks, who favoured realism, ‘demanding that students should look hard at the object before them and depict exactly what they saw' (Julian Potter, 1998). As a result, Potter’s early works, painted in the wake of her time at The Slade, have a more representational focus than her later pieces, which steadily moved towards increasingly abstract compositions.

Mary Potter's paintings rarely depict a direct light source, rather the light seems to glow through her pale shades. This was achieved by mixing chalk dust with her colours, bringing the quintessential illumination to her work. When it came to her still lifes, she did not intentionally place objects to be painted, rather she embraced the casualness of these gatherings, which were not unified thematically. The objects depicted were instead made a related group through the act of painting and titling.

Having been introduced to the New Art Centre by Lord Kenneth Clark, Potter had 13 solo exhibitions with the gallery during her lifetime. This was during a pivotal period in her life, when her work was becoming less representational.