My Story

 

Hi – my name is Marianne – many call me Mi – and welcome to Colours on Grey.

I run a small artistic business from my website and studio set in rural NSW, Australia .

I am a ceramicist and abstract painter.

I create colourful abstract  paintings inspired by the landscape around me as well as rustic Nordic inspired ceramic wares. My enjoyment of  working with paper and fabric and incorporating different textures into my works has led me into creations of versatility  – including collages and cards.

I grew up in Denmark spending most of my childhood holidays either on my grandparent’s farm or in the lovely town of Menton on the Mediterranean south coast of France. I migrated to Australia in my thirties to pursue a lifelong dream of living a creative life in relaxing and tranquil (or as we Danes would say ‘hyggelige’ ) surroundings.

Initially I wanted to write, but after moving to Australia I had to accept that my English wasn’t nearly good enough, and writing in Danish seems a bit too strange, when you are surrounded by another language. I started working with clay as a teenager, always being fascinated by the way the clay can transform into a bowl on a fast spinning wheel. For many years ceramics were my main focus, – but I went back to painting – something I’ve always been doing (mainly on my clay works) – but this time taking it more seriously.

I create colourful abstract paintings incorporating lots of texture using paper and fabrics. Through my art I unite artistic impressions from two continents and cultures, which over time has fused and become my own unique style.

I participated in my first group exhibition in the late 90’ties and had my first solo exhibition in 2007.

I started sewing in the 1980’s and have participated in countless numbers of courses and workshops. It’s a skill I set a side for years and then pick it up again. Incooperating fabric into my paintings seems like a natural progressing of my fasination with fabrics. A passion for paper initiated the creation of cards and collages in 2002. I love working with paper and fabric, especially re-cycled, and it gives me a nice break away from the paintbrush.

Working with clay sat on the backburner for a few years, as I was getting more and more into my painting. A couple of years ago I took ceramics up again, and here in 2020 it is now again my main focus.  

Alongside my ambition to create, I have owned and managed a nice café, a small art gallery, an art supply retail store, an art & craft shop and now an online art business. In 2017 I started teaching painting and other creative/handmade classes. I love sharing my experiences and over the last 3 years I have had a couple of hundred students coming along to my workshops. It took me a little by surprise and a lot of time went into the workshops.    

I will continue running the workshops as sharing and creating with others has a big place in my heart, – but just not every week 🙂 I will also need time for my own creations, – as these are the reason for fullfilling my dream. 

So all in all – I can happily say that I now live life creatively, just like I always dreamt of, – even if the dream was set in France and not in the Australian Bush. But that’s another story!

If you have any questions about me or my work, please don’t hesitate to contact me.

You can read more on my blog and you can also sign up to my monthly newsletter below.

 

You can also find me :

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