Interview with Manda Marble
1. Please tell us something about your background and your art journey so far.
I started drawing as a child and particularly loved to draw faces of women from magazines. I really enjoyed that. My grandmothers were both artists so they also taught me to paint when Iwas a little girl, and exposed me to the world of an artist at a young age. I aspired to be just like them. However, after college, I ended up working in a corporate job and grinding away. I left my art behind. It was not until the pandemic hit that I picked up my art supplies again and started to create on a regular basis. It just flowed from there and I haven’t stopped since.
2. Describe what a normal day looks like as an artist.
I start each day with a ritual of nature connection, meditation, sacred reading, and yoga. I will then go on a nice brisk long walk — often through a little forest in my neighborhood. I don’t rush into the day. If I did, I would easilly get overwhelmed. I have a very active creative mind that doesn’t stop so ideas come and go quickly. Taking the time to slow down and get grounded is vital to keeping my energy in a good place. I will then sit down and start working on whatever is calling me that day. I often have many projects going at once and this works well for me as I can be moody about my art and
interests on any given day. Having a variety of options is nice. It can also be overwhelming at times, but I am learning how to prioritize and manage... I always take a mid-day break for some tea and quiet time — often sitting in my backyard garden observing the wildlife. Nature is my tonic and my inspiration, so I need to tend to that daily.
3. Can you tell us more about the theme in your art and your inspiration?
Nature is tied into everything I do. The women I depict are always representing a season or nature goddess and the sacred feminine side of the natural world. I use natural materials that I pick and press in my collage work which is so fun and rewarding. I love to just look at these flowers on a cold winter day and daydream about warmer months in the garden.
4. How does your art life impact other parts of your life.
I would be a mess without my creative freedom! My art grounds me. It energizes me and it allows me to fulfill my purpose on this earth. I want to connect humans to nature through art and I continue to explore ways to do this.
5. Is the artist life lonely? Please share your thoughts and experiences.
The artist life can be very solitary. I don’t ever feel alone when I am in a creative flow, but if I am not feeling creative on a particular day I can start to feel the lonliness creep in. I am very much an introvert so I enjoy being by myself. For example, I would not do well sharing a studio with another artist as I would find it way too distracting and uncomfortable. I need to be alone when I create, so if I do feel lonely, I know that this is just something that comes with the life I have chosen as an artist. Rather than resist it, I have chosen to embrace it as a special gift of intimacy with my own spirit. This is, after all, how I create what I do.
Instagram @MandaMarble