Marlene Pape is a Toronto-based fine artist who has been painting professionally for 4 years. Before taking up painting full-time, Marlene taught elementary school, designed a line of baby and children's accessories, modeled in print and commercial ads and worked as an interior decorator.
Marlene paints in acrylic on canvas, primarily landscapes: skies, clouds, water and beaches. Trees have been a recurrent theme in her work because of what she calls "the inherent beauty of their imperfect perfection". She also paints bold, graphic geometric abstracts and can be commissioned to do portraits. Marlene finds inspiration both from her travels abroad, including England, the Caribbean and Mexico, and locally, living in the beautiful Beaches neighbourhood of Toronto. The rugged scenery of Haliburton , where her family vacations, provides much inspiration as well.
Marlene has a B.A. in Sociology from York University, a B. of Education from the University of Western Ontario and an Interior Decorating diploma from George Brown College. Though her interior decorating studies were very instructive in area such as colour theory, art history and perspective drawing, Marlene still considers herself a largely "self-taught" artist.
Her first solo exhibit at the Cobalt Gallery in Toronto (March 2007), entitled Treescapes was a huge success with 25 paintings sold. Currently Marlene's artwork can be found in numerous private collections in the U.S., England, Switzerland and Canada. A selection of her work is also on display at the Valcucina Showroom in Toronto as well as in the lobby of the Terraces On the Green Condominium in Woodbridge, Ontario. She is now preparing for her second solo show, entitled Skyscapes ...and a tree or two..." to be held at Gallery 888 in Toronto, running from May 21 to Jun. 1, 2008. The show will feature 45 of her newest works as well as a selection of her photography.
Recently, Marlene's work (10 paintings and 6 photographs) were chosen to be part of the interior decor of the "Get Wired" feature home (designed by Erik Lauzon) at the Toronto National Home Show in April 2008.
Marlene is a member of The Cafe Society of Artists, an association of Toronto-based artists who meet regularly to exchange ideas and painting techniques and to participate in group shows.
Marlene is married and the mother of two children, Olivia and Tristan. When not preparing for shows or painting commissioned pieces from her home studio in the Beaches, she volunteers (teaching art) at her children's school and gives interior decorating consultations. Marlene is grateful for her husband Jeff's constant support and always-honest critiques. Her hobbies include playing piano, photography and traveling with her family.