"I found I could say things with colour and shapes that I couldn't say any other way ... things I had no words for."
~ Georgia O'Keefe
BIO
Marion Griese completed a degree in Fine Arts from the University of Toronto in 1992. After travelling and working in Europe, she studied jewellery art and design for two years at Vancouver Community College. These two art forms have allowed her to explore ideas and concepts from different angles. A found object may inspire a painting, which consequently may inspire a piece of jewellery. Other times, the jewellery may spark ideas for a painting. She has a deep appreciation for balance, proportion and colour and looks to both natural and urban forms for inspiration. She is currently focusing her time on a new series of abstract paintings. Marion Griese resides in the Niagara area of Southern Ontario with her family, where she teaches art to young children.
ARTIST’S STATEMENT
My approach to painting is intuitive, yet also imbued with my years of studying art and design. Whether I turn to the natural or the urban environment for inspiration, I am always looking for a dialogue between colour and form. I am so interested in how notes of colour can play off of one another to transport and even transform us. My current work begins with lines rooted in organic shapes to form the structure of the composition. Sinuous lines intersect across the canvas to reveal shapes which are then given colour from a palette I observe around me, or sometimes draw from the hues of memories, poetry or music. The intertwining of the creative challenge and sense of serenity I experience when composing my paintings is what I find most compelling and rewarding.
EDUCATION
University of Toronto, Fine Art and English 1992
Vancouver Community College, Jewelery Art and Design, 1998
GROUP EXHIBITIONS
2019 Festival of Smalls, Art Interiors, Toronto, ON
2018 ICE, de la terre cafe, Jordan Village, ON
2018 Why the &%#! Do You Paint?: All those Lines, Gladstone Hotel, Toronto, ON
2017 Small Feats, NAC , St Catharines, ON
2011 International Women Celebrate, Ayr Space, Ayr, ON
2009 Escarpment: On the Edge, St Catharines City Hall, St Catharines, ON
SOLO EXHIBITIONS
2018 Tangled Sky & Garden, The Elora Cafe, Elora, ON
2018 Tangled Sky & Garden, Shannon Passero/The Post Office, Thorold, ON
2010 Land/Mark, Niagara-on-the-Lake Public Library, NOTL, ON
ART FAIRS
2017 Toronto Outdoor Art Exhibition
2016 Market Series, Stratus Winery
2013 Market Series, Stratus Winery