Originals by D Marie

My Story

While most young girls longed for a pony I begged for a box of 64 count Crayola Crayons. The first birthday gift I can recall getting was a set of watercolor paints. I used the entire set in just one day, painting everything under the sun. In preschool, we typically painted once a month. I would ask the teacher every single day if we were going to paint regardless of the fact that’s we’d just painted the day prior. And will forever remember my elementary school teacher scolding me for neatly coloring every single square inch of my paper. I guess she didn’t consider that staying within the lines. While most kids came in from playing with dirt under their fingernails, I simply had every color of magic marker on mine. At an early age, I began to include a rainbow in every drawing I did for this allowed me to use every color in the box. I’ve always loved color yet wondered what I would be like to live life in black and white.
My interest came from my grandfather. He was a true artist. Much like a “short order cook”, my grandpa was a “short order artist”. I grew to know no different as I would shout out things I wanted him to draw. “Mickey mouse”, “Big Bird”, “My dog Checkers”. And like Walt Disney himself, my Grandpa would sketch away until it looked like a real life image. I had so much to learn from him yet he passed away when I was at an Art Camp at age 13. I always thought that was a sign from him that I was on the right path. Just prior to finishing my college career as a double major in Art and Public Relations, my mom presented me with my grandfather’s art easel. Inside I found his brushes and a note card that read “My Pallet”. Tears began to roll from my eyes as I read the list of colors including “Cadmium Green” and “Alizarin Crimson” because very, very ironically, this too was “my Pallet”.
Nearly 10 years after graduating, I still lose and find myself in my artwork at the same time. I frequent my studio at Coe to this day as it is one of the most peaceful places on Earth. I’ve never questioned the artistic talent God has blessed me with however, I will always wonder just exactly how he wants me to use it.

My artwork is inspired mainly by my favorite artist Monet. I was truly moved in 2003 as I visited Giverny, France where his infamous "Waterlilles" call home. This inspired me to travel back to a childhood favorite, "The Lily Lake" of the Amana Colonies where I based my senior thesis. My artist statement is as follows:

“Serenity”
It is late July on the Lily Lake. The warm summer heat lands upon my shoulders and the breeze from the lake sweeps my hair across my face. A nostalgic feeling of my childhood overcomes me as the scent of wild flowers enters my nose. Running around the lake, picnicking on its bank, and ice skating across it. These thoughts flow so easily through my mind. It was almost yesterday.
As I roll the ink onto my plate, the solid sheet of ink reminds me of the ice that covers the lake in the cold winter months. I work solvent and brush strokes through this block of color, and am reminded of the subtle waves that appear in the Spring as the ice is broken. A roll through the printing press helps to capture this feeling of water moving on the paper.
After the initial roll through the press, I look for places to add color to create the illusion of space. Like the bursting of color that Monet uses in the detail of his "Waterlilies" at Giverny. Manipulating the color helps to create a horizon line that appears in the distance and develops the illusion that is crucial in a landscape. The foreground appears with sweeping brush strokes and brayer marks mimicking the movement on the lake in the summer time. A second roll through the press ensures that this is secured in the print.
The detail that appears in the memories of the lake is reflected in the finishing touches of the print. Reflections of the sun are added with lightly rolled color in. The scene is completed with a final roll through the press. The image has become a landscape of color and brush strokes conveying the nostalgic feeling of the Lily Lake in late July.