I have been drawing for as long as I can remember. I drew on anything I was allowed to and sometimes on things I was not. My family always encouraged me, but I still had to wait until I was in the fifth grade to be admitted to a local art class. It was one of the longest waits of my life. Once there, I felt like I was in heaven. I have not stopped making art and knowing how blessed I am to have a gift like this.
My recent watercolors are of my favorite subjects, flowers and the children of Haiti. I paint with vibrant colors using many transparent layers to show the mysterious depth of the center of a flower; my favorite part of the flower, and the twinkle in the eyes of a Haitian child who has seen so much suffering yet still has joy in his heart. These things inspire me and I need to paint them. Simply put; I paint beauty and joy.
I was interviewed on Elizabeth Trinkaus’ Podcast:
Enough Already, Yes You Are! Listen HERE!
Biography
Marni Maree is honored to be one of the first group of recipients of the Arts Council of Fairfax County’s Strauss Fellowships for Visual Arts.
Marni’s vibrant watercolors represent her love for drawing, desire to create beauty and her inner joy. Her favorite subjects to paint are flowers and scenes from her travels to the West, Greece, Spain and Haiti. In Haiti, she is able to find much joy in the children living in extreme poverty and chaos. She wants to capture that spirit and share their stories on paper. She wants to celebrate the beauty of a flower and make it impossible for you to ignore it.
Marni teaches workshops all over the world: France, Italy, Brazil, on the QM2, Caribbean and more to come! Marni taught Art classes for the 2007 – 2017 July Enrichment Programs at Village of Hope School, Ganthier, Haiti. Marni also teaches Watercolor and Drawing at the Workhouse Arts Center, Green Spring Gardens as well as in her home studio. Right now ALL classes are online via Zoom.
Marni earned her BFA in Fashion Illustration from Moore College of Art and Design in Philadelphia, PA. She worked as a freelance graphic artist after graduating but gradually transitioned to colored pencil and then to watercolors and oils. She has been keeping up with technology and is creating an online course as well as teaching via Zoom during the pandemic.
Marni exhibited her work regularly in the Loft Gallery, participates in local group shows and has had a solo show about once a year for the past 20 years. She has won numerous awards for her watercolors. She is also a member of the Potomac Valley Watercolorists and the Workhouse Arts Center where she has a studio.
Marni has 3 grown children, lives and works in Springfield, VA with her husband, Ron.
