Having always been her favourite subject in school, Tannis Marshall was inspired by art from a young age. Excelling in her high school art classes, she veered away from her creative passions to pursue an undergraduate degree in business. But art has always been a part of her life, taking night classes at ACAD before her children came along, painting and creating to fill their rooms with art.
In 2018, she leaned into her passion to create with the conception of the holistic skincare collection Eluo. Collaborating on branding, visual concepts and art direction for brand imagery. The play of light, movement and textures in nature that inspired the visual content for Eluo is echoed by the shapes, pigments and layers in her work.
She started following several inspiring artists on Instagram who were pouring acrylic mediums and fell in love with the style. By 2021, the challenges of running an online business through COVID-19 had taken a toll, she was in search of an alternative creative outlet and hoping to bring more balance into her day-to-day life. So, she dedicated time to exploring some online courses on composition theory and decided to take her brush to canvas. At that moment, she found her way back to creating art.
As an artist, she aims to evoke a soothing sense of calm, through pieces that express balance and meaning, with a modern perspective that pervades beauty into everyday life.
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Which neighbourhood are you in?
I currently reside in Killarney, just west of downtown with my partner Jason and 3 young boys. I have been creating out of my at home studio for the past year and a half. Our open concept infill has the best lighting and floor space on the main floor, so I have taken over our dining room. On any given day there is a canvas drop in place of an area rug with some of my recent works in progress and supplies spread across the floor.
What do you do?
I’m an abstract painter, inspired by the abstract expressionism movement of the 1950s. My work explores an intuitive approach to painting, it is quite therapeutic, the creative process requires you to release control. Drawing from beauty in nature and my visual experience I blend and manipulate acrylic pigments with water in a conversation style to build beautiful layers that reflect my visual experience.
What are you currently working on?
I hosted my first solo art show at Sundays Furniture this past fall. Since then, I have been working through my fall/winter commission schedule and gathering some inspiration for a curated spring collection. I’m also working on a beautiful textile print offering that I hope to share very soon.
Where can we find your work?
I have the bulk of my available work on display at Sundays Furniture Calgary showroom located in the Beltline. I also have work available at The Curated Home in Inglewood. In Marda Loop, you can find some smaller studies at the boutique Sundays State Co.
