Artist's Statement

My inspiration comes mostly from nature; I love the curvilinear shapes and colors. The flora and fauna of the outdoors really draw me in, but even a simple trip to a Farmer’s Market can stoke my creative fire. The colors, intricate shapes, and details allow for a never-ending supply of subjects. For each subject there is something different that draws me to it: a color, a shape, a line. The detail itself is different each time.

Choosing my subject comes from a feeling I get looking at colors and shapes. Once this decision is made, I work on the composition - doing several sketches to get it just right. Now the fun begins: color. Putting the pastels on the paper and blending the colors to capture the highlights and shadows is my favorite part.

My hope is, that after seeing my artwork, people look at the world a little differently. That they take the time to stop and look at the details or see how the colors play against each other.

Biography

Marcia Popp strives to help others see the details in the world around them and foster their appreciation for “not just the big picture, but all the little details that make up the big picture: the swirls and whirls in an onion skin much like a fingerprint or the way the leaf curls around the stem of the plant, mimicking a circular stairway.”

Born in Milwaukee, Marcia Popp’s art career started at a very young age, she recalls “it wasn’t a conscious decision to become an artist, I just was one.” Equipped with her sketchbook and some pencils or paints, Popp could usually be spotted painting the world around her. She took many art classes throughout the years and ultimately received her degree in Fine Art, Drawing from the Milwaukee Institute of Art and Design.

Popp continues to produce art as she finds inspiration all around her: “Nature is the inspiration for my work. I love the curvilinear shapes and colors found in nature. There are so many colors, intricate shapes, and details providing a never-ending supply of subjects.” She prefers to work with pastels which allow for the ability to work “hands-on” and blend the colors to get the exact hues that she wants; colored pencil accents add definition that help to enhance depth and movement in her pieces as well.

Marcia Popp not only brings a tremendous amount of focus and detail to everything she creates, but her art is filled with love. She is passionate about her art and she creates in the hopes that anyone who sees it can get at least a glimpse of how she sees the world and maybe they can feel inspired too.

Resume

Education

Marcia Popp studied with Ruth Garens from 1971-1979 and ultimately earned her degree in Fine Art, Drawing from the Milwaukee Institute of Art and Design in 1983. After college, Marcia began working in the corporate world where she has worked as a graphic designer, illustrator, and print production manager.

Style

Marcia Popp creates with different types of media, but prefers to work with soft pastels and colored pencil. She does some pencil drawings and watercolor. Marcia uses cold press watercolor paper for all her work, preferring the texture and a white background to retain the purity of the colors. Nature is the inspiration for her work. She loves the intricate, curvilinear shapes; the multitude of colors; and the detail found in nature.

Family

Marcia  has always considered Tucson, Arizona home and has recently moved back from Colorado to be closer to family and friends.

Collectors

Littleton Museum, Littleton, CO

Shows

2023 Spring Flowers (Virtual Show) KBM Gallery, Riverside, CA

2023 Las Lagunas Women in Art (Virtual Show) Las Laguna Art Gallery, Laguna Beach, CA

2023 Botanical Art (Virtual Show) Las Laguna Art Gallery, Laguna Beach, CA

2022 Women in Art (Virtual Show) Las Laguna Art Gallery, Laguna Beach, CA

2022 FLOWERS 4 PEACE and PROSPERITY (Virtual Show) Red Bluff Gallery, Red Bluff, CA

2022 Open Call (Virtual Show) Red Bluff Art Gallery, Red Bluff, CA

2021 Botanical Art (Virtual Show) Las Laguna Art Gallery, Laguna Beach, CA

2021 Luminosity (Virtual Show) B Extraordinaire Gallery, St Louis, MO

2021 The Second Half (Virtual Show) Las Laguna Art Gallery, Laguna Beach, CA

2020 Every Color has a Story (Virtual Show) Flagler County Art League, FL

2018 This is Colorado, Heritage Fine Arts Guild of Arapahoe County at Colorado Gallery of the Arts, Littleton, CO

2017 Littleton Own an Original, Littleton Museum, Littleton, Colorado

2017 Kaleidoscope Colorado Gallery of the Arts, Littleton, CO

2016 This is Colorado, Heritage Fine Arts Guild of Arapahoe County at Colorado Gallery of the Arts, Littleton, CO

2016 Wish You Were Here, Tubac Center of the Arts, Tubac, AZ

2016 Kaleidoscope Exhibition, Colorado Gallery of the Arts, Littleton, CO

2016 33rd Annual All Colorado Art Show, Greenwood Village, CO

Awards

Honorable Mention for Opening Night, 2022 Flowers 4 Peace and Prosperity, Red Bluff Gallery, Red Bluff, CA

Ampersand Award for Tickled Pink, 2018 This is Colorado, Heritage Fine Arts Guild of Arapahoe County, Littleton, CO

People’s Choice Award for Ruby Calyx, 2016 This is Colorado 2016, Heritage Fine Arts Guild of Arapahoe County, Littleton, CO

First Place People’s Choice Award for Desert Bloom, 2016 Wish You Were Here, Tubac Center of the Arts, Tubac, AZ