Artist Statement

Old things with age and history speak to me, and I try to capture their essence in my paintings. Rather than careful realism, I prefer a looser style that leaves something to the viewers’ imagination and draws them into the picture. They can respond with their own interpretations of the scene or subject and imagine its history.

For me, watercolor is the medium that lends itself beautifully to my subjects and style. I like the way it flows, its looseness and its luminosity. And I like its surprises. My painting as a whole is a work in progress as I explore and experiment with the medium and with new and different ways to suggest the story in everything I paint.

About the Artist

Marsha Chandler is a watercolorist, who, as a child, dreamed of being an artist. She is now realizing that childhood dream. After rearing her children and pursuing a successful career in real estate appraisal, she moved into the world of professional painting. In her studio in Douglasville, GA, she creates vivid landscapes and still lifes which reflect her love of history and antiquities, like a battered tin bowl, a weathered iron gate, a 12th-century hilltown in Italy or an old barn in the Georgia mountains.

For years she carried a camera around to photograph scenes and objects as potential painting subjects, knowing without a doubt that one day she would use them. She took photos of anything that caught her eye, letting her instincts guide her. It was usually something about the colors, the light or the texture of a boat, wall or door. Marsha captures her subjects in luminous watercolor, her medium of choice. "It is the translucency that appeals to me. I love the way watercolor glows." she says.

Since becoming a full-time artist, she has studied extensively and taken workshops with regionally and nationally known watercolor artists including, Kathy Rennell Forbes, Marilyn Bradenberger, Jack Shields, Mel Stabin, Pat Fiorello, Judy Morris and Don Andrews. Marsha paints in her studio, on location and travels abroad and around the United States both to paint and find subjects for her art.

Her paintings have been accepted into a number of regional and national shows, and her works hang in several private collections.

Awards

• Purchase Award Georgia National Fair
• Honorable Mention - Georgia Watercolor Society Member Exhibition, Jonesboro, GA
• Honorable Mention - Atlanta Artists Center - 'Beyond Perception', Atlanta, GA
  

Memberships

Atlanta Artists Center
Douglas County Art Guild
Georgia Watercolor Society
South Cobb Arts Alliance
Southern Watercolor Society
Watercolor Society of Alabama