Illuminations Print

Marion Kahn is a Colorado oil painter best described as a contemporary colorist. Her paintings share the unceasing beauty of the world around her. As an artist, Marion confidently captures surprising details that draw in the viewer. Her palettes can be soft or bold. She uses color to carry the message of the painting, whether expressing a quiet meditation or exuberant joy. Marion's work is found in the homes of collectors around the country. "My desire to paint exploded in Sicily when I saw two young artists atop a scaffolding as they restored a 400-year-old fresco," says Marion. "I watched, mesmerized and full of questions." Up to that point Marion's work combined marketing communications consulting for companies like Wal-Mart Stores, Inc. and Delta Air Lines. She modeled and acted in the U.S. and Paris. She also designed jewelry for custom clients. Through these fields of interpretation, Marion was engaged in the creation of form, design and color that cause a desired response from the target audience. Painting, on the other hand, requires the artist to be true to herself without regard to the after-effect. Good painters create a series of problems that they must solve. As Sir Winston Churchill wrote, "...painting a picture is like fighting a battle... It is, if anything, more exciting than fighting it successfully." ​ Ever growing, Marion has studied with established artists including: photorealist painter, Robert Cottingham; colorist, Ken Elliott; American Impressionists, Kim English and Barry Thomas; abstract colorist, Casey Klahn, and plein air painters, Jean Perry and Joan Hoffmann. She comments locally on the arts, juries regional shows, and has reviewed grants for Colorado Creative Industries. She serves on the board of Arts for Colorado.