Conversations with Manda Marble

Today we’d like to introduce you to Manda Marble. 

Hi Manda, so excited to have you with us today. What can you tell us about your story?
I am a mixed media artist that’s in love with the natural world. 

I loved to draw as a child and would spend hours sketching portraits. However, as I got older and went to school, I left that behind. I became very involved in music and was the songwriter, singer, and bass player for the rock band “Manda & the Marbles.” We had a good time!! I still write music and play piano and guitar, but I did not start to dabble in the visual arts again until 2018. 

So, in 2018, I had a renewed interest in art and began to explore acrylics and watercolors. I did not give it much time or effort, but that fire was burning inside me, and I knew that it needed to be expressed. I continued to paint every now and then as a hobby, but I really didn’t allow much time for it in my life. 

Once the pandemic hit, things changed dramatically. While many people understandably felt scared and isolated, I felt as though a whole world opened up. I now had the opportunity to do something positive and allow my connection to the natural world to be expressed through my art. I also understood that this path would somehow lead me to help others connect to nature and help them to experience calm and joy. 

Over the past three years, I have experienced significant personal growth and have changed in many ways. Allowing that intense desire and knowing to be expressed felt like a floodgate opening. Every painting that pours out of me brings me closer to an awareness and a connection that I can’t really describe. I just know it feels good! 

I love to create textured paintings depicting flowers and their energy. I really enjoy creating abstract mixed-media floral pieces that evoke a sense of dreaminess. Lately, have been working with natural elements and incorporating them into my work. I create “nature collages” that combine mixed media painting with pressed flowers, leaves, twigs, and seeds. I have a garden full of native plants and perennials, so I am busy picking and pressing the beautiful flowers and seed pods all summer. 

I currently have a solo exhibit running from 9/17 through 10/2. 

Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall, and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
I think the biggest struggle for me was that I was not allowing that creativity to be expressed for many years. I was distracted by things that weren’t really that great for my body or mind. I went through a lot of healing to get where I am, and painting 100% helped me through it all. Being on the other side of that place is beautiful. 

Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
I would not say that I specialize in anything other than noticing the beauty of a tree or a flower and then taking that awareness, processing it, and creating something out of that to share with others. I like to call it “nature magic.” It’s always wonderful when someone can receive some of that through a piece of art. 

What sets me apart from others? Nothing. Everyone has the capacity to express themselves creatively and in their own beautiful way. If more human beings allowed that for themselves, there would be a collective positive shift in all places where humans and the planet are suffering. 

Contact Info:

• Website: www.MandaMarble.com
• Instagram: MandaMarble
• Facebook: Manda Marble Paints
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCf_ZgyjJEBndt60NZYY45Pg
• Other: https://mandaandthemarbles.bandcamp.com