About Marilee

I’m so happy to meet you! 

Hello, I am Marilee Donivan. 

I am the daughter of a Marine Corps officer whose career took our family to many wonderful places. We lived in Italy, Hawaii, the Washington D.C. area, and both East and West Coast states. My parents loved the outdoors, and during our three years in Europe, our family spent summer vacation times pitching our colorful tents in the Swiss Alps, in Austria, France, Germany, Belgium, Denmark, and the Netherlands. I loved the mountains, meadows, and surrounding beauty. My love for art was ignited by visits to many European museums, castles, cathedrals, and art galleries. The colors and representations of life in paintings and glowing stained glass created a sense of awe and admiration. I was captivated.

After college, while my husband served in Vietnam as a Marine Corps platoon leader, I was invited to a plein air painting class to be spent in various beautiful locations in outdoor Idaho. I was immediately onboard! My painting buddy was my mother-in-law who shared my love of being outdoors and painting. An unlikely pair? We were so compatible! We subsequently enjoyed additional painting classes together, and camped in a tent with sleeping bags to save costs when we traveled.

Viewers commented on their appreciation of my representation of nature and the sense of peace they felt with my paintings. I began to sell, and my oil paintings found their way into homes, professional buildings, and private collections. 

Looking to explore beyond oils, I took plein air classes in Watercolor Painting, and found delight in the free-flowing nature of that medium. I now paint in either watercolor or acrylic paints, to express things and places that I love. I also enjoy exploring new textures and techniques. That’s the fun of creating something that wasn’t there before on that blank piece of paper or canvas! Occasionally, I paint children or figures in the landscapes, but my joy in the beauty of nature is my dominant inspiration. I attribute it to my early years in Europe and my parents who lovingly exposed me to art and the outdoors in fun ways.