SPECIALIZING IN PORTRAITS OF LIFE
Made in Oregon by Courtney Marchesi
Original Art
Pet Portraits
Prints
Commission
Mediums
ACRYLICS
Acrylics are versatile and buildable. I can add layer after layer on paper, canvas, wood, glass, or brick. Compared to watercolor or oil, I find acrylics much easier to work with and more forgiving. They dry fast, which can be challenging, but that plays into my personality. I am one of those people who appreciates instant gratification, so it’s fun to jump right in, paint brush swinging.
OILS
Oils, like acrylics, are quite buildable with what seems like an endless possibility to the layers I can add. I started to delve into this medium at the beginning of 2024 and instantly fell in love. Oils are an entirely different beast and behave quite differently from the acrylic counterparts. Learning to use oils has pushed me to embrace the pace and take deeper breaths as they are not a medium to be rushed. I satiate my need for instant gratification in other parts of the process.
COFFEE PAINTINGS
When I discovered coffee painting, combining my love for the sea and my love for a good cup of coffee seemed like an obvious decision. I mostly paint with coffee in the winter because I’m cozied up in my studio, soothed by its smell.
How I do it
To make the paint, I use instant espresso and dilute it. The amount of powder and water I use makes the strength for pigments, giving me tones from dark to light in my palette. Applying the mixture to wood or paper acts like a watercolor or very diluted acrylic. Sometimes, I accidentally dip my brush in the coffee I’m drinking, but that’s okay, it’s all organic!
Pet Portraits
Did I mention I worked as a Certified Veterinary Technician almost two decades before switching to becoming a full time artist? Creating pet portraits has been a unique way for me to combine that special chapter of my life into the present.
