Iris Series

My name is Marissa Gibson and I am from Springfield, Oregon. I am majoring in 2D art and biology. My artwork is inspired by my observations of nature, and I paint primarily with watercolors. My plans following undergrad are to work on conservation research projects involving migratory birds and to earn my certificate in science illustration from Cal State Monterey Bay, which has been a dream of mine for many years.

The Iris Series is ongoing, beginning with a large piece done in 2016. It is an exercise in expression and control of the medium. Iris are unique flowers with interesting textural variation between the parts of the flower, and they come in luminous, velvety colors that are enjoyable to paint. The flowers themselves are stately, elegant, and eye-catching which lends nicely to a well-composed, interesting painting. Painting each iris is meditative and methodical. My goal is to capture the effect of light on the flowers, which is unique to each variety as they can have more translucent petals, a velvety sheen, or tule-like ruffles. I work from my own photo references taken at a local farm, Schreiner’s Iris Farm. The secondary titles are the name of the iris cultivar upon which the painting is based. This series has helped me understand color interactions and how to avoid overworking a piece, which has in turn helped me to improve my natural history illustrations.

If you are interested in purchasing my work, please contact me through my website. A link can be found at the bottom of this post.

Find me on Instagram @mgibson_art or on the web at https://mlgindigoart.weebly.com/