Marisa Macklin
AQ is our series of hardcover catalogs celebrating extraordinary women artists. Available on Amazon. Visit the AQ Catalog Webpage to learn more.
Marisa Macklin, featured in AQ Volume V, is a Contemporary Figurative Painter from Washington D.C. who works out of her art studio in Northern California. She received her BFA in Studio Arts from the Institute of American Indian Arts in Santa Fe, NM, and since graduating in 2014, worked in fine art galleries for 9 years. She is inspired by daring portraiture artists like Chloe Wise, Alice Neel, and Kehinde Wiley. Macklin has received 8 awards for her paintings, has had her artwork displayed in 18 juried group shows, 4 solo shows, and 2 museum shows, as well as published in 5 magazines.
In November 2019, Macklin debuted her first solo exhibition, Impermanent Fascination, premiering at Jackknife Gallery. Her second solo exhibition in 2020, Momentary Captivation, was displayed at the International Art Museum of America in San Francisco. Her paintings were accepted into the de Young Museum for a juried group show titled de Young Open from October 2020 to January 2021. In 2021, she exhibited her third solo show, titled Loosey Goosey at Jackknife Gallery. In 2022, Macklin sold work in the Arts for Oakland Kids quarterly auction alongside Mel Ramos, as well as had her fourth solo exhibition in Fort Ross School. In 2024, Marisa was published in CanvasRebel Magazine in the February and December issues. In January 2025, her work will be published in the University of Pennsylvania’s Journal of Arts and Sciences. She is currently building her new series Fashion, Fruit, and Fowl to submit to galleries for representation.
http://www.marisapaintsalot.com/
What inspired you to become an artist, and how did you decide to commit to this path?
I feel as though fate led me to become a painter, guiding me toward this path in ways I never expected, despite my initial plans. My journey into painting wasn't so much an inspiration as it was a serendipitous twist. My fine art career began almost accidentally when, after my first semester of college, I switched majors from a BFA in Musical Theater to a BFA in Studio Art. I had always been a creative person, but growing up, my focus was on musical theater. I dreamed of becoming a Broadway actress, dedicating myself to acting, singing, and dancing in productions year-round.
I’ve always harbored disdain for school, which is to be distinguished from the zest I feel for learning. This long-harbored disdain kept me from having the desire to go to college, yet went anyway and attended the College of Santa Fe in New Mexico. After an arduous semester of rehearsing 12 hours a day, I realized I didn’t want to spend the rest of my life acting out someone else’s art, I needed to make my own. I enthusiastically called my parents to tell them I was dropping out of school because I didn’t like my major. “I gave it a good try!" I said. They didn’t care what I majored in as long as I stayed enrolled. I needed to make my decision quickly. All I had to go on was that I had gone to a couple of summer camps for painting, so I took a leap and embraced the risk of committing to something I could potentially fail at. I fatefully stumbled into painting and I believe my career started exactly when it needed to. I am grateful that when I was ready to drop out of college, I leaned into the unknown and pushed through.
When I showed up to my first painting class, anxiety encompassed the uncertainty of my choice. But as I spent more and more hours using my brushes, wonder consumed me. Painting evoked my humanness and through that integration, it introduced me to itself: my life’s purpose. As my education continued my spirit came alive; she crawled out of her ancient den and peeked her head out to delight in all the colors on my palette.
Could you share the story or concept behind your recent work?
In 2022, I married my husband, Frederick, and shortly after tying the knot, we bought an off-grid log home on 40 acres in the middle of nowhere, Sonoma County, California—secluded in the coastal hills. Our home is surrounded by dense forest with landscape views of well-known vineyards and cow country. We live among farms and ranches, sharing our land with mountain lions, bears, and bobcats. The work I have been creating out here is directly influenced by our new environment, revealing a striking difference from the work I was creating for several years in Oakland, California. While living in the city, I focused on street fashion; now, in the countryside, my work has shifted toward capturing more natural scenes. I am currently developing my 2024 series, Fashion, Fruit, and Fowl, which explores the vibrant interplay between people posing with fruit and chickens, set against minimal or immersive scenes filled with the energy of momentary stillness. This series invites viewers into a vibrant fusion of modernity with farm life and fruit stands.
What was the most challenging part of your path so far? How are you navigating this obstacle?
The most challenging aspect of my journey so far has been finding my true voice. Despite the thousands of hours I’ve spent painting, I still feel as though my style is elusive. To be honest, I don’t really see myself as a good painter. I just simply show up, sit down, and do the very best that I can. That’s really all I can do. Much of the time, I’m paralyzed by the fear that I won’t paint well enough, yet the final result always ends up surprising me in a positive way. Somehow, despite the anxiety and self-doubt, I always manage to make it work in the end. I just try my hardest to paint the very best way I know how.
What role does experimentation and exploration play in your artistic practice?
This question is a complex one for me. I constantly navigate the tension between taking my art too seriously and allowing myself to playfully approach my work. When I approach an unfamiliar subject matter it can take me weeks to figure out how to execute it. While it would be more efficient to create studies, I dive straight into the canvas, layering and experimenting until I finally land on the right way to portray it. For instance, the ground in Cowgirl Chronicles was a mess for weeks before I stumbled upon the perfect formula. To ensure that I maintain a sense of freedom and stay true to myself, I always work on 5 abstract paintings alongside my more focused pieces. When I’m done working on my fine art pieces for the day, I smear the excess paint on my pallet across the surface of my abstract paintings. These works take several years to finish, as I build them up layer by layer over time.
Do you have any start or stop rituals before creating?
My studio is a separate building just 30 feet from the house, so the first thing I do in the morning is check the temperature and adjust the mini-split to make the space comfortable. After that I make breakfast and eat it on my viewing couch while I ruminate over how scared I am to paint whatever it is I’m focusing on for that day. I take a moment to check in with myself and assess my mood, which helps me decide what to focus on. I’ll set a goal for the day—whether it’s finishing a dress or honing in on the details of chicken feathers. Then, I stare at all my paint tubes stressing over which colors to use before I enthusiastically pick the right brushes for the job. And, of course, I blast music on my sound system to get into the zone.
What message do you hope your art conveys to the world?
When people view my paintings, I want them to feel an immediate, pleasant response—a sensory enjoyment that resonates in their body. My work isn’t intended to push a narrative or convey a message to an audience. For me, being an artist is more about immersing myself in the creative process and letting go of any attachment to the final outcome by trusting it will all come together. My paintings are a visual feast of colors and techniques, a tapestry made of thousands of technical choices I made over time that together form the finished piece.
Share a mantra or favorite quote that keeps you going.
I have a large message written on my studio wall, “Don’t think, just move your hands.” It helps me to compartmentalize my thoughts, swat them away, and let my hand and heart do the work. Despite being crippled in fear every time I paint, I do trust my right hand. With a quiet mind, my hand confidently dances across the canvas, but when I listen to my free-reign thoughts, I question if I am making the right color and brushwork choices. I get more work accomplished when I don’t think.
