Photographs have fascinated Marlana since she was a child. “There has always been something so alluring about capturing something on film-a look, an attitude a feeling so fleeting and precious. Just the thought that a subject can be immortalized by a single image has always been an extraordinary thing to me. It is like a message in a little bottle that is sent out into the world. In my life I have been blessed to work with amazing people who are the best in the photographic field. They have enriched my life and shaped my creativity.” Marlana lives on the Eastern Seaboard close to the ocean which she also draws inspiration from.
After knowing from an early age that she was to be an artist, Marilyn Simandle began her career in 1969 as a graduate from San Jose State University. Since then, her watercolors have been featured in more than 60 one-woman shows, and have earned her numerous awards.
The inspiration for Marilyn's warm paintings is light, and all the contrast and depth it can create. She has had her own book published by North Light, and is a signature member of the American Watercolor Society. She works from her studio in Central California, where she lives with her artist husband. She says, "I want people to be uplifted. I want art to give people a good feeling!"
