Marie McKenzie

Welcome to My Studio This Weekend 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. Through local connections, I met woodworker Jackie Stewart, who was more than capable of making my dreams a reality. He built solid maple arched stretchers, and it took three of us, including Noah Crowe, to tack the canvas around the rounded edges. This weekend is the first public event to reveal all six arch shaped paintings, inspired by France and my freediving adventures in the kelp forests around the Channel Islands, Catalina and Laguna. 'Ocean Garden' is a series rooted in what becomes possible when we protect what we cherish. It is inspired by Venus, goddess of beauty, gardens, and flourishing harmony. The works are painted from my firsthand experiences in protected waters, where life thrives in ways that take your breath away. This collection has been teaching me a lot. At the start of summer, I realized I needed to slow down and truly listen. My paintings don't arrive simply because I set a deadline. They come through months of patience, of receiving, of being open to what wants to emerge. And so I am honoring that. Currently nine months in the making since those first sketches and a release date for the originals is still to be determined, as is the completion of the final painting of the six. I trust the process. I hope you join me to see both the in-progress and finished large works. With love, Marie