Marie McKenzie

Friends, I have some news to share. The 'Ocean Garden' giclée limited edition prints are officially sold out online. I'm still processing it. Thank you to every collector, neighbor, and fellow artist who brought a piece of the series home. Your support means the world to me. Here's the sweet and exciting announcement. I saved one set of all three editions released for one lucky lover. 💙 The three giclees will be sold together as ONE FINAL set, 'Le Tunnel', 'Le Passage', and 'La Verrière', will be first come, first served in person on the tour. This series began over a year ago in front of Claude Monet's 'Water Lilies' in France. I felt a calling to create an underwater sanctuary. Arched canvases, gilded edges, kelp forests, and months of diving and painting later, it's coming to life. Seeing the prints land in homes feels like the ocean garden is blooming far beyond my studio walls. Come see the 'Ocean Garden' originals as well as my newest mid series 'Immersion' this weekend. The sixth 'Ocean Garden' painting is in its final stages, come immerse yourself with this life sized collection. There will also be many other limited editions from my kelp inspired and Ojai paintings. My door will be open from 10 to 5, Saturday through Monday. Warmly, Marie 💙 mariemckenzie.com @mariemckenzieart

I hope you can join me at my studio to see my largest, most immerive and challenging series to date, the ‘Ocean Garden’ collection. I will also be showing ‘Innermission’, for the first time, consisting of new, in process, medium and large paintings. Ocean Garden Ocean Garden is my largest, most immersive, and most challenging series to date. It's potentially complete, and I'm excited to share it. These are large arched paintings, each edge gilded in brass. I wanted them to feel like windows, or the doorways of a cathedral that happens to be underwater. The idea came from two places I love. One is the beauty of French sacred architecture, with its arch shaped doorways and windows. The other is the kelp forest (Channel Islands, Catalina and Laguna), where I've spent so much time as a freediver. Kelp fronds became columns. Sunlight through the water became stained glass. Abundance is the heart of it. The ocean gives so much, and I wanted these paintings to feel generous in return. 10% of proceeds from my kelp-inspired work supports kelp restoration and research through SeaTrees and Scripps Institution of Oceanography. 💙 Innermission For the first time, I'll also be showing Innermission, my newest mini series. It's three medium to large oil paintings, closer in scale to my earlier work, and they're still in process. I've been loving the view from the ocean floor, looking up at the light through the canopy. It's the opposite of where I began. Back when I was working on my Prism series, I was snorkeling at the surface, before I faced my fears and dove in. Now I get to look up. You'll see these paintings while they're still becoming, and I love sharing that stage. Many small paintings and limited editions will be available during the annual Ojai Studio Artists studio tour, the weekend of October 10th through 12th. Can't wait to welcome you. Warmly, Marie mariemckenzie.com

On the plane back from my first solo voyage to France, I sketched arched canvases with gilded edges. I had no idea how this could be possible, but it was my dream. I visited Monet's 'Water Lilies' on that trip and felt a deep pull to create a large, immersive body of work on shapes that reflect the gorgeous architecture of Paris. I hope you join me to see both the in-progress and finished large works. With love, Marie