Marsha Piper

Marsha Piper

Red Lacquer and Egg Oil on Panel 10"h x 10"w           Marsha Piper Sake Cup Oil on Panel 9"h x 11"w             Marsha Piper Silk and Cherries II Oil on Panel 13"h x 11"w             Marsha Piper Plum Tea Oil on Panel 16"h x 20"w               Marsha Piper Solitude Oil on Panel 23"h x 21"w             Marsha Piper Blackberries Oil on Panel 25"h x 23"w SOLD             Marsha Piper Red Vase Oil on Panel 13"h x 11"w           Marsha Piper Blue Vase II Oil on Panel 13"h x 11"w             Marsha Piper Pears and Plums Oil on Linen 10"h x 14"w             Marsha Piper The Hand-turned Bowl Oil on Panel 17"h x 19"w SOLD             Marsha Piper From Almathea's Horn Oil on Panel 10"h x 20"w SOLD           Marsha Piper Last of the Peonies Oil on Panel 13"h x 15"w SOLD               Marsha Piper Still Life on Limestone Oil on Panel 13"h x 15"w SOLD             Marsha Piper Passion Oil on Panel 17"h x 15"w SOLD             Marsha Piper Onions Oil on Panel 11"h x 13"w SOLD             Marsha Piper Chinese Vase with Fruit Oil on Panel 7"h x 8"w SOLD               Marsha Piper Green Pears Oil on Panel 8"h x 7"w SOLD               Marsha Piper Peonies in Silver Vase Oil on Panel 8"h x 7"w SOLD             Marsha Piper Eucalyptus Oil on Panel 8"h x 94"w SOLD             The oil paintings of Marsha Whitesides Piper evoke a feeling of the classical elegance and craft reminiscent of the 17th century. Deeply rooted in the Old Masters realist tradition, her modern sense of design conveys her passion for light, making known color and form that emerges from the mysterious translucence of shadow. Using the concept of chiaroscuro, the high contrast of light against dark that is the hallmark of the Old Masters tradition, Marsha begins with an umber penumbra and skillfully builds to the dramatic pinnacle of the highlight. Her instinct for the power of serene beauty awakens in the viewer a hopefulness that life really is good. Born into an Air Force family in 1947, Marsha was afforded the oppurtunity to travel widely in both the US and Europe. Her creativity and artisitc eye emerged early, and with high expectation she looked forward to beginning her formal studies in the 1960's, and was quickly disappointed with art instruction only concerned with expressing yourself in modern art movements of the time. She wanted the 'meat and potatoes, kind of knowledge of what the Old Masters knew. After moving to the Denver area, Marsha became a memeber of the Art Students League in Denver and was thrilled to study with Joshua Fallik in his "Recreating Rembrandt's Workshop". Finally, she had found someone willing to impart precious knowledge of the craft of painting. Marsha Piper finds that it is deeply satisfying and grounding to paint with classical techniques. It's not about copying objects - a grape, a tree, an eye - but painting what is significant about a grape, a tree, an eye. Each time Marsha approaches her easel, she endeavors to set aside preconceived ideas about painting and seeing, which leads to rich new discoveries both about herself and the creative process. Marsha's passion lies in the process of moving paint to convey light, color, form, movement, space and if in the process she can remind the viewer of their own innate sense of beauty then that's like a fabulous dessert at the end of a sumptuous meal.