I begin on sanded pastel paper that is machine made, but I also apply pastel primer to printmaking paper in order to create a surface with a more pronounced texture. I work with NuPastels for the initial blocking in of the design. The next layers are applied with very soft pastel, usually Sennelier or Schminke.

I want my paintings to express to the viewer the peace I feel when I walk this land. I paint what I see, but distill the details of nature to focus on the essence of the landscape. I combine these shapes with what I feel about the area, adjusting the color to emphasize the light and shadows, and hope the viewer connects to the sense of place, which attracted me to the scene.

Marianna McDonald grew up in Louisville, KY but has lived in Landstuhl, Germany, Morgantown, West Virginia, and Chillicothe, Ohio. In 1977, she returned to Kentucky and lives in Lexington. McDonald received her BS degree from Murray State University with an emphasis in figure painting and graphic design. While working for 14 years as a graphic designer and later a manager for the Lexington Herald-Leader promotion department, McDonald continued to paint what she truly loves—landscapes.

In 2001 she took a buyout to follow her dream to be a full time artist. Her work appears in many corporate collections including Central Bank, Lexington, KY, Lucille Markey Cancer Center, Lexington, KY, Murray State University, Murray, KY, Kentucky Fried Chicken headquarters, Louisville, KY and Art in Embassies, Riga, Latvia. She is an exhibiting member of the Kentucky Guild of Artists and Craftsmen, participates in 12 art fairs yearly including KentuckyCrafted: The Market coordinated by the Kentucky Arts Council and Berea conducts pastel workshops for adults. 2005 exhibits include 2 one-person shows in Lexington, KY and Louisville, KY, and Arts Councils “In Women’s Hands: A Response”. Other exhibits include Kentucky Women 1970-2000, Owensboro Fine Art Museum, “Language of the Land: Contemporary Landscape Paintings of Kentucky and Ecuador” traveling exhibit and “Pastel Only” juried exhibit with Pastel USA and Pastel Society of America