Artist Marianna McDonald, of Lexington, Kentucky, has been creating art for over 40 years. Trained in painting and graphic design at Murray State University, Murray Kentucky, McDonald has devoted years to developing her own unique vision of the world and self expression through painting in pastel and oil media.
McDonald’s paintings are created from actual areas of the rural eastern United States. The realism of these areas adds a uniqueness to the paintings but is not constraining in artistic expression.
Although trained in figure painting at Murray State University, landscape has always been McDonald’s choice of subject matter. “As soon as I graduated I started painting what I loved – the land. The Kentucky landscape gives me the chance to depict the peaceful roll of the fields and the gentle flow of the central Kentucky waterways."
"We have a farm in Randolph County, West Virginia which has been in my family for 5 generations. I paint the fields and mountain hillsides that my great-grandfather cleared of forest to raise sheep and cows. I hope my paintings express to the viewer the peace that I feel when I walk this land."
"I paint what I see, combined with what I feel, adjust the color to emphasis the light and shadow, and hope the viewer connects to the sense of place which attracts me to this beautiful land.”
“I was comfortable with oils which I started using in high school, but when I experimented with pastels over 20 years ago I was hooked on the vibrant color and immediacy of the medium. When first using the brilliant color of pastel medium, I was as excited as a kid with a new box of crayons.”
McDonald executes the play of color, light and shadow in concordance with the rhythm of the land to create an atmosphere of peace and grace. These paintings are not “elevator music” nor “hard rock” but are easy to live with, bringing the peace and beauty of the outside world into the living spaces of homes and offices.
"I hope you enjoy my work and this web site. Thank you for visiting and joining me on my journey."
