We recently connected with Marielle Orr and have shared our conversation below.

Marielle, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. Do you think your parents have had a meaningful impact on you and your journey?

I think growing up as a creative, overly emotional kid having supportive parents is really such a blessing. My parents did a lot of things right raising my sister, brother and I, but I think their biggest accomplishment as parents was allowing us to grow into the people we were supposed to be. They of course offered guidance when it was needed or warranted but generally let us figure a lot out for ourselves.

I always had a lot of big feelings and big ideas as a kid and throughout adolescence and my parents would always just accept it and help me in any way that they could. When I told them I was going to art school, they agreed, no questions asked. When I told them I was moving across the world (on more than one occasion) they said “that sounds amazing” and helped to get me ready to go. It’s moments like these where they offered support over discouragement or being highly critical that allowed myself and my siblings to become our own people and to become the people we were meant to be.

Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers.

Art has always been a really big part of my life. I would spend a lot of my free time painting, drawing, and building as a kid. This carried over into my teenage years, throughout high school the only place I wanted to be was in the art room working on whatever project was due that week. I never thought seriously about a career in art though as there was always the tail of the “starving artist” and constant reminders from teachers and counsellors to be “realistic and smart about your future.” None the less I still dove head first into a visual arts degree at my local university. Don’t worry, I paired it with a concurrent education degree as a back up of course to be “realistic.”

I truly fell in love with art throughout my four years in the fine arts programs. The daydream of getting to paint and draw all day everyday had come true. I was also able to travel a lot through exchange programs my school offered. I spent a lot of time in other countries which helped not only shape who I was but also contributed greatly to the way my art style evolved. Though going through art school really felt like art was it for me, there was still that looming thought of “what will I do when this is over?”

When I finally finished undergrad and teachers college I was lost to say the least. I decided teaching was definitely not for me and I wasn’t entirely sure where to take my art, as I lived in a small city in Northwestern Ontario, which is just about as secluded as it gets. I spent time working in restaurants and doing art on the side in my free time, as most creatives do while they’re trying to figure it out. I eventually decided to move across the world to Australia, but that quickly came to an end as Covid-19 struck just as I was getting settled and I was forced to head back to Thunder Bay.

Covid-19 was a turning point for me. My art and I thrived. It felt like art school again, I got to make art all day everyday. Things were going well and that’s when I decided I was going to take a more professional route with my art. I found a mentor who taught me about art, business, and life as an artist. I really fell in love with it all once again on a deeper level. Since then, I have experienced so many different things with this little art business of mine. A lot of ups and definitely some downs but all amazing and worth it in the long run. I have learned so much and have been allowed so many wonderful opportunities because of it.

I guess after that very long backstory I should finally talk about what it is that I do. I am an artist, I mainly work in the style of mixed media abstraction, but have been known to dabble in some other styles. I use a lot of texture and layering of colours to create captivating, moody compositions. I have created numerous series of works for different exhibitions, I take part in art markets and pop-ups and I do a lot of custom work for clients. This means I go into their homes, or spaces to get a feel of what they’re looking for and create a work unique to their needs and space. To me this is so special as I have had the pleasure to create pieces for some pretty big life events and intimate moments. It has truly been such an incredible opportunity to get to connect with people like that. I am so blessed to get to do what I do.

Now, I just moved across oceans again and am now living in Spain with my husband and our lovely dog about to embark on the next part of this journey as an artist.

In your view, what can society to do to best support artists, creatives and a thriving creative ecosystem?

To create a more thriving creative ecosystem I think, of course we need to allow more spaces and opportunities to support the people already doing the art and being creative, but I think a more important way to contribute to a more creative society would be to allow more room for even more people to participate in creativity and art. By having a community that is built around creativity and the arts would help reinforce the understanding that it is so vital. Being creative doesn’t have to just be for a small group of people, it really should be something we all think about doing and doing together.

What’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative in your experience?

To me connection is the most rewarding part of being an artist. Getting to connect with other people, whether it be by having one of my pieces speak to someone in a way that can’t be put into words or by creating a work for someone to bring a little something more to their space, home, etc. It really is just such a special feeling to bond with someone over something you made.

Contact Info:

• Website: marielleartaf.com
• Instagram: @marielle.v.studios
• Facebook: Marielle Orr

Image Credits
Lucas Augustyn Jack Barten