Marlen Waters – River Gallery Featured
Artist January 2013
“Laugh, Love, Letter, & Paint”
In the same
vein as the book and movie by Elizabeth Gilbert, “Eat, Pray, Love”, Marlen
Waters’ January
“Featured Artist” exhibition at the River Gallery in West Monroe, Louisiana,“Laugh, Love,
Letter, & Paint” is an
exploration of color, spirit, paint and self-discovery using watermedia on
paper and canvas.
Born and
raised in Homer, La., Marlen Waters graduated from La. Tech University with a
M.S. in Medical
Technology and a M.B.A. in Marketing. She continued her education studying art
and calligraphy
at La. Tech University, University of Pennsylvania, Chicago College of Art, St.
Johns University,
and with various master calligraphers and artists. She is a board member of the North
Central Louisiana Arts Council, a charter member of the Piney Hills Art
Gallery, a roster artist and a
member of the Shreveport Regional Arts Council, and was a Louisiana Division of
the Arts roster
artist. She is a member of the Ouachita River Art Gallery, Lincoln Parish
Museum and Beta Sigma
Phi.
Marlen says
about her work:
“I enjoy color—and lots of it, and the
energy that the paint has when it is applied to the paper or canvas. I use latex, inks
and acrylic paints on paper and canvas and let the paint tell me what the painting
is to become. I also do a combination of calligraphic lettering worked into
colorful abstract compositions. I still remember as a small child tracing letters
from the covers of magazines, changing them, embellishing them and marveling at how
their parts fit together. This fascination with letters, shapes, and colors
grew into designing monograms, doing posters for my mom's work, and finally
lead into combining my love of color and painting with letters and letter
forms. Combining them has given me a chance to touch people who seem to enjoy the
inspirational sayings and the play of color and shape. God gives each of us
certain talents. Whatever our talents may be, it is our privilege and responsibility to develop and
nurture them.”
Marlen has
been on the Louisiana Peach Festival Steering Committee for ten years and will be chairing
the Arts and Crafts Show again this year. She was the Coordinator of
Volunteers, chaired the
Gospel and Family Day and has been in charge of the Peach Festival T-shirts and merchandise.
She has had two of her designs selected for the Peach Festival poster and three of her
designs have been selected for the t-shirts. One of her Peach Festival posters
is currently being used
in the HBO television show “True Blood”.
She was the
Executive Director of the Dixie Center for the Arts in Ruston from the time it opened in
January 2006 through 2011. Her art has been accepted into numerous juried shows and she has
had several one- woman and shared shows in the region. She is a free-lance calligrapher,
graphic designer and artist, and has taught art and calligraphy classes
privately and with La.
Tech University and Grambling State University Continuing Education.
Marlen is
married to Roy Waters, and they live in Ruston, La. and have three children. They attend
Trinity United Methodist Church. Her artwork can be viewed on her website www.marlenwaters.com
or contact her at marlen@tugmail.net or 318-255-9394.
"The making of artworks is a blessing
from God. The sharing of artworks is a gift between humans. Together, they express the
ineffable."
