Meet Marless Fellows

Today we’d like to introduce you to Marless Fellows.

Marless, can you briefly walk us through your story – how you started and how you got to where you are today.
As an oil painter, I love creating art that shares the personality of my real live subjects. I enjoy painting the West and western lifestyle that’s inspired by my childhood from living in AZ and growing up in the West. As a young teen, I enjoyed competing as a barrel racer in the small local rodeos on my horse Sam. The simple ways of the West and wonderful childhood memories still make me smile today.

I enjoy painting people and all forms of animals and wildlife. I’ve been painting for almost thirty years and feel extremely fortunate to have a job that allows me to do what I truly love.

I started out just painting as a hobby in my mid 30’s as a way of keeping busy when my children all got older and were in school all day. My husband’s grandfather came to visit us and painted for fun, he inspired and encouraged me to paint. I realized quickly that I needed classes when my first painting of a palm tree looked as though one of my grade school children painted it.

After six semesters of drawing at Mesa Community College, I took workshops from many incredible master artist at Scottsdale Artist School that I will always be grateful for their wisdom and skill… Once you’ve learned many of the technical skills, I think you have to just put miles and miles of paint on the canvas to really find what you love to paint and have passion for, that’s not hard if you love it.

If you paint what you love the people that love what you paint will follow, and it’s a win-win situation. I have found that I normally paint subjects that show their personalities. I enjoy sharing with my viewers to look into the eyes or look for the story in my artistic journey that may remind you of a person or an animal and take you to a place you once had or wish you could have.

I’ve had many of clients say that when they walk by my paintings in their home it gives them peaceful smiles and warm hearts and for me, that is the greatest compliment they could ever give me is to know my paintings bring joy.

We’re always bombarded by how great it is to pursue your passion, etc – but we’ve spoken with enough people to know that it’s not always easy. Overall, would you say things have been easy for you?
My journey has not always been easy, but it has made me strong and resilient. I would have to say having confidence in my work and learning to sell your own work was difficult at first.

The challenges I’ve had is making myself grow as an artist and not allowing myself to stay in the same place. Fortunately, I love to study but allowing myself time to do that is sometimes hard.

I feared for many years that if I was a professional artist I’d have to paint the same thing over and over and I knew that would never work for me. I found out that’s not the case and that you must paint what you love or you will burn out.

We’d love to hear more about what you do.
I enjoy painting people and all forms of animals and wildlife. I specialize in sharing the personalities of people and animals. I paint people in normal life situations and animals with eyes that smile. I love when I can paint something that gives the viewer a story.

I would have to say I’m known for painting primarily the West… That being said I paint cowboys and cowgirls with grit or humor. I paint animals such as donkeys that bring humor and sweetness naturally. I also paint the magnificent beauty that I see in wildlife from my travels in AZ an in the northwest. I paint lots of Salt River Wild Horses here in AZ that I’m passionate about keeping them wild and free.

I’m most proud of being chosen twice as Arizona Cowboy Poets Gathering artist of the year. They choose artwork that is used as their poster and helps them their event in Prescott, AZ. I was inspired to create a book called “A Handshake is Enough” because I felt cowboy poetry and many of my paintings went together so beautifully.

The book is a copulation of my artwork and poems written by cowboy poets that were inspired by my paintings in the book which has 36 of my paintings and 36 cowboy poems. I am also known for being passionate about my artwork.

Is there anyone, in particular, you would like to recognize? Mentors, etc.?
Mesa Community College for teaching me to draw, which inspired me to go on.

Scottsdale Artist School for all the amazing workshops from an incredible master artist.

My husband who always encourages me and helps me in everything I do as an artist along with setting up and taking down for shows. He is my hero.

Pricing:

• $50-$7000

Contact Info:

• Website: artbymarless.com
• Phone: 4805778426
• Email: artbymarless@hotmail.com
• Instagram: artbymarless
• Facebook: Marless Fellows

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