About the Artist                       

Marie was born in Akron, Ohio and moved with her family to Ardmore, Oklahoma as a small child.  Her mother, noticing Marie’s love for drawing, kept her supplied with the tools she needed to keep pursuing her talent and beginning in elementary school Marie started winning awards for her art.  She earned her degree in commercial art in 1982 from The University of Central Oklahoma.  After several years of working as a graphic artist, she gradually found her way to full-time painting and drawing.

Marie has been a signature member of the Pastel Society of America since 1989 and is a signature member of the Pastel Society of the Southwest.  She has exhibited in numerous local and national shows receiving several "Best of Show" awards for her work including the Oklahoma Art Workshops 11th Annual National Juried Exhibition.  Other awards include the Steven Leitner Award during the Pastel Society of America's 19th Annual Exhibition in New York City, and First Award of Excellence during the Pastel Society of the Southwest's 11th Annual Exhibition in Dallas, Texas. 

Her work has been published in “The Best of Pastel” and “The Best of Pastel 2” by Rockport Publishers, as well as the May 2000 issue of “The Pastel Journal”.  Her work was featured on two CD covers by Edgar Cruz, “Opening Night” and “Opening Night 2”.  She has also been listed in Who’s Who in American Art and Who’s Who in the South and Southwest.  Most recently Marie’s work was shown with the International Association of Pastel Societies exhibit at Ventana Gallery in Santa Fe, New Mexico.  In the 23 years she has been working as a professional artist, she has placed her work in numerous private, corporate and public collections. 

Marie's work is currently shown in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma at Contemporary Art Gallery www.contemporaryartgalleryokc.com, and in Telluride, Colorado at Telluride Gallery of Fine Art, www.telluridegallery.com.

Marie lives in Oklahoma with her husband and three beautiful children.

Artist's Statement                            

"Painting is a success when people are intrigued by subjects that are often unnoticed.  Inspired by the gracefulness of gesture and the beauty and geometric quality of light on subjects with strongly cast shadows, my work stresses the poetic aspect of situations around us.  Many times I use a combination of watercolor or acrylic with pastel and a textured surface, layering and weaving color throughout to create mood with color and texture."     MKW

"Finally, brethern, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is of good repute, if there is any excellence and if anything worthy of praise, let your mind dwell on these things."    Philippians 4:8