I met Marcia Harris many years ago at our kids’ school, where she was teaching an art class. I was a parent volunteer, and I remember how the winter light in the room seemed to change with her enthusiasm.
Everyone was inspired. I even ruined my favourite jeans by spilling paint all over them, and didn’t care. After class, I helped her load her car in the parking lot and somehow knew we’d become good friends.
A lesser-known experience of Marcia is of being at her kitchen island; kids, family, pets, plants, art projects, music, wine, and the delicious anticipation of a meal filling the atmosphere.
It was then that I realized that Marcia has a rare gift: she can conduct the artistic elements of life itself. Translating the cacophony of chaos into beauty. There’s a dynamism that draws people to her, and an innocence that flows through everything she does. It’s captivating.
Something similar, though far more intentional, happens in the quiet of her studio. Focused yet effortlessly free, she moves with the elements, now fully within her command.
The same orchestra plays, only now it’s seen through the eyes. The same dynamic balance unfolds, and the sense of wonder never ends.
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Which neighbourhood do you live in?
I live in Mt.Pleasant.
What do you do?
I am a practicing artist and instructor at AuArts in their Con Ed program
What are you currently working on?
I am currently working on a series of paintings focusing on Urban Regeneration.
Where can we find your work?
You can find my work on Instagram and my website, in the Loch Gallery in Calgary, and the Elevation Gallery in Canmore. Recently, the Glenbow Museum acquired a piece for its collection, which I will include here.
