STRANGE DIRT
Name: Marsha
Occupation: Freelance Artist
Aspiration: I aspire to become a woman I'm proud of.
What makes you feel grateful to be on planet earth?
The many special and wonderful people that have come in and out of my life makes me so grateful that I share the same space under the sun with them.
Tell us something that not everyone knows about you:
I have the most terrible sweet tooth. At one point in my life I was visiting the local bakery to buy pastries and sweet cakes like every other day!
What is your favorite kind of nature?
To see the natural elements around me change with every season is magical. I'm originally from the east coast, but spent majority of my life in California, so coming to Colorado rekindled my love for the seasonal shifts in the weather. The emergence of life from death is so beautiful. The tides of the seasons is a good reminder, that with every challenge or hardship that may arise in my life….it will come and go…leaving lessons and new personal growth.
Plant Spirit Medicine Educational Bandana
Are you formally trained or self taught?
I've had no formal training. This natural urge to create and paint has been with me since I was a little girl. I took my talent more seriously about 7 years ago. I eventually had to follow my heart and dive deep in my work while teaching and disciplining myself in the many ways and forms of art. It would have felt unnatural and going against the grain of my being if I didn't. The nature of my work reflects what I'm inspired and moved by. My subjects and aesthetics are constantly changing and shifting. At the present moment all I want to do is be immersed in botanicals, geometric forms and symmetry.
Who are your favorite Artists:
I don't really have favorites. I admire many artists of various mediums and crafts. I feel as though everyone has something beautiful to share. But if I had to choose I would pick Ashley Oubré. Her portraits are so real and striking. Her work surpasses realism. They seem to breath.
Your work is characterized by a unique combination of botanical and geometric forms- can you talk a little bit about your relationship to the plant world? I've always been so fascinated by flowers. When I was younger I believed that there was someone or something beyond our reality designing and creating all this beautiful flora. I decided that I could easily within my reality be the creator of my own world of botanicals. So I started to illustrate and design my own species of plants. The majority of all the flora I illustrate is make believe. I have so much fun with it. I incorporate geometric forms and shapes to my work to add a certain edge and boldness to the softness of the flowers.
Women you admire and why? The one woman that I hold the most admiration for would be my mother. She's the toughest and most strong willed lady I know. She raised 3 girls with a language barrier and very little money. My mother has been through so much hardship but still finds beauty and hope in the world. Despite all the struggles that life handed her she still manages to smile and find joy in the little things. She never stops dreaming. My mother drives me crazy at times but I love her. She's my rock.
Books/ albums you love? I don't read much but the one book that sticks with me is 'Walden' by Henry David Thoreau. It's very much like a silent film. Currently the one album that I can't get enough of would be 'If You Leave' by Daughter. It's so eery and beautiful.
Any fun projects in the works for the rest of 2014? Yes…most definitely! I'm in the process of moving my work onto fabric. I want to add functionality to my art. I would love to see my designs draped over a chair or a pair of shoulders.
Advice for happiness? Follow your heart. Don't make too many compromises. Know what you want and go for it with a courageous heart. If you let fear guide you, you will never be where you truly want to be.
Marsha and Erin Collaborated on the Plant Spirit Bandana, depicting 5 powerful nourishing herbs for Erin's Introduction to the Wise Woman Tradition of HERbal Medicine workshop.
