Collection: Marian Fricano
A FEW THINGS ABOUT THE ARTIST
1. What do you do when you’re not making art? (Day job etc...).
I have been a passionate gardener for many years, immersing myself in Northern California's natural beauty. I maintain an insect and bird friendly garden with many birdbaths and large bushes for the birds, and pollinator flowers for the insects. My lifelong passion has been hiking the many beautiful trails throughout Northern California.
2. Why do you make art?
Because I love the Californian countryside where I have spent much of my time since I was a young girl, many of my paintings are an attempt to capture and share with others the beauty and magic of Northern California landscapes. My love of gardening and gardens is also my inspiration. Gardens are more than flowers, shrubs and trees, they are also butterflies and birds which I love to paint.
3. What inspires you?
The beauty of Northern California landscapes and everything garden related: trees, flowers, insects, and birds. Colors, both subtle and brilliant, and visually exciting skies are what I enjoy capturing in my paintings. I do occasionally paint portraits, but my passion for California's natural beauty is my greatest inspiration.
4. What/who are your influences?
The painters I most enjoy are Wolf Kahn, Van Gogh, Matisse, Pissarro and Monet, so I am sure that my love of their art has an unconscious influence on my painting, though I certainly do not consciously attempt to imitate them.
5. If you could meet anyone dead or alive who would it be?
There are many people, both dead and alive, that I would be honored to meet. I would love the meet the great masters whose paintings I love most: Wolf Kahn, Van Gogh, Matisse, Pissarro, and Monet. I would also love to meet Jane Goodall, Noam Chomsky and Edward O. Wilson.