Kristen Marco's art celebrates the beauty and joy of life, and the ideals of peace to which we all aspire.  The bloom of youth, the vibrancy of color, the perfection of nature - these elements are essential to conveying the spirit of gracious days, of gentler times - and she combines them in her oil paintings to create special moments where all is right with the world.

Born in Grosse Point, Michigan, Kristen first discovered her love for art in high school.  The validation of several awards gave her the confidence to pursue her artistic endeavors even more passionately as she was selected to study art history in Florence, Italy through her university program.  She often traveled to Paris to immerse herself in the wealth of the great French Impressionists who have greatly influenced her work.

Kristen has a passion for exquisite fabrics and elaborate gowns, as well as furnishings and decorations of days gone by.  She haunts flea markets, vintage clothing stores and even film studio costume houses for the perfect accessories to incorporate into her paintings.  When she finds that special dress or ensemble, she creates a composition around it.  Like designing a set for a movie or play, she dreams a luxurious dream, imagines a scene that will delight the viewer and brings that vision to life.

Once her subject is posed, she paints outward from the fabric, using it as her focal point.  By playing with light, shadow, intricate tones, silken textures, delicate folds, cascading colors, and meticulously mixing and layering oil paint she creates images of loveliness that are true to the eye.  Ultimately, the fashion, the subject, and the surroundings unite, blending seamlessly into one another.

An established artist, she has found much success with several sold-out shows in Tokyo, Japan, gallery representation on Rodeo Drive and can be found in collections worldwide.

Kristen's love for children is reflected in her donations for various children's charities, including the Audrey Hepburn Children's Foundation and ChildHelp USA - a way she has found to share herself and her work with others.

Her two children are at the center of her inspiration for her artwork.  This love and joy she has as a mother captures these magical and sometimes make-believe moments in each painting she does.

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