Marilla Palmer’s mixed-media works immortalize the temporality of nature. In all her work nature is exalted in shimmering details that shift with light and movement.
Her deceptively serious still life paintings become playful, fantastical tableaus upon closer inspection. Delicate watercolor brushstrokes are accompanied by plastic sequins, dried petals, sumptuous fabrics, gold leaf, and more. This juxtaposition is both humorous and lovely, theatrical and erudite. Palmer cultivates her own garden that she observes for both inspiration and material.
“Working so directly with nature makes it feel like I’m collaborating, but with an unpredictable partner. Who knows what will appear in my studio garden? How will the petals change when pressed or if the wet watercolor, interference paint or sequins will capture the ecstasy of what I see?” she says.
