Avalanche Creek — Glacier ©
36" x 18" Oil
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BIO
Marcia was born in Washington and raised in Western, Montana. She was always interested in creating art. She won her first art contest in the first grade. She has can't remember when she wasn't drawing or interested in art. She developed a love of the landscape, nature and the outdoors after seeing the works of Alfred Bierstadt and Thomas Moran. Her "plein air" work gives her fresh material for her paintings. Marcia is a traditional painter working in oils, watercolors, acrylics and soft pastels. Residing in Montana, she finds and endless inspiration for her landscape paintings. Her travels are an endless source of material for that next painting. Marcia first participated in the C.M. Russell Auction and Quick Draw in 1985. Her paintings have been juried into several national shows. She has been an exhibitor at the annual art show at the Heritage Inn in Great Falls since 1985. Marcia is also a member of the Montana Professional Artists Association, and Montana Painters Alliance. She is an Emeritus Treasurer of the Out West Art Foundation, Inc. Marcia has been fortunate to have studied with some of the west's outstanding artists, including Joe Abbrescia, Irving Shapiro, Matt Smith, M.L. Coleman, Joe Thornbrugh, Larry Pirnie, Jack Hines, Jessica Zemsky, Delbert Gish, John Seerey-Lester, Mario Cooper, Marc Hanson, Albert Handell, Clive Tyler, Steve Oiestad, R. Tom Gilleon, Quang Ho, Jeremy Lipking, Michael Godfrey, Dan Young, Roger Dale Brown , Kevin MacPherson, Harold Demond Olson, John Poon and others. Each of these artists contributed not only to her technical knowledge of the skill of art, but her outlook and approach to art. "Painting nature is a consuming love. My challenge is to capture that fleeting dramatic light as it moves across the landscape. For me nature is an endless source, a fountain to drink from. An artist must express nature from within. You must feel it!"..... Marcia Ballowe ARTIST STATEMENT My earliest memories have always involved art, drawing and recording those images on paper. Those earliest drawings have evolved into paintings in a variety of media. I evaluate the subject and determine the best medium to use depending upon the quality of light and drama for a particular subject. I realized that I could pass by certain vistas daily and they would seem rather mundane, but when the early morning light or the last rays of light hit the mountains or a passage in the landscape, the entire scene changed. The landscape was the stage and the light was adding the drama. That drama was what I needed to recreate. I wanted something more than an architectural record of the subject. I needed to capture that drama and the feeling I had when I experienced it first hand. My mission is to express the joy I felt at that particular moment in time. I invite you to share my visions and my journey. Painting Plein Air has become my new passion, trying to communicate the sights and sounds of the place. I want to capture that moment in time for all to enjoy. — Marcia Ballowe |
