Art Fx is a year-long series on Huntsville Doppler featuring Huntsville-area visual artists.
“Holding On” by Marike MacDonald is a 24″ x 36” oil on canvas.
“It never fails to amaze me to see trees growing in the most improbable places,” says Marike. “We’ve all seen trees growing out of bedrock and while many of them are stunted, some grow to a towering size.”
Her inspiration for this painting comes from a photo she took while hiking The Crack in Killarney Park. “There on the very tip of a rock outcropping were several trees sprouting, all struggling to make a go of it with varying degrees of success. While painting this, I thought how this can correlate to the struggles of life – how some people are able to grow and flourish despite their roots having to stretch far and wide for nourishment to circumvent their harsh environment.”
“Holding On” is available at Auburn Gallery in Gravenhurst for $1,300. Contact them at 705-812-0749.
About the artist:
Equal parts passion for colour and the wonder of nature, Marike seeks to create works of art to share and stimulate others to an awareness of the preciousness of our natural world and its elements. Her body of work is informed by strong and bold colour. Marike acknowledges that to paint is to combine proficiency and accuracy with a willingness to change direction according to the demands of the painting. Underscoring this yearning to share and create is her faith in God and the knowledge that whatever she creates is but the dimmest reflection of what was originally created.
She currently resides in Muskoka and is particularly inspired by the challenges of the ever-changing light and the seasonal changes of central and northern parts of Ontario. Her work is appreciated by friends, family, and supporters alike as she seeks to capture the essence of the vistas of Algonquin, Muskoka, and Lake of Bays. In doing so, her style and colourwork is very expressive. Her work also has been featured in the July 2019 issue of the Muskoka Life magazine.
Born and raised in Southern Ontario on a 100-acre farm, she had a loving family who allowed her to freely explore the meadows, woodlands and animal life. This led to a passion for creativity and discovery and ultimately led her to a Fine Arts degree at Humber College.
Find Marike online at marikemacdonald.com, on Instagram @marikemacdonaldartist or email her at [email protected].
See more local art in Doppler’s Art Fx series here.
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