About Me

My Skills

My name is Marlaina Dauncey (Mars. D) and I'm an Ottawa based self taught freelance illustrator and painter. My medium of choice is gouache. I have been painting for over 10 years in a variety of mediums. I am skilled at both digital and traditional art but i currently am focusing on traditional gouache works. 

Why traditional art

I fell in love with gouache due to how easy it was to pack along with me on a bike ride into nature to disconnect. Painting in nature was such a mindful excersize that allowed me to disconnect from a digital world.  The physical constraints of not having an "undo" button was extremely freeing compared to digital art. Every stroke mattered and I learnt that each mark was not an error, but rather added to the charm and completeness of the work.

Subject Matter and Style

My subject matter typically revolves around things that bring me calm. I choose to paint nature, plants and animals. I unwind by gardening and spending time with my two cats. I also am an avid bird watcher and naturalist. The study of life is infinite and endlessly interesting to me. I practice both drawing from the mind and drawing from life to improve and develop my style. I gravitate towards intense colours and a high level of detail.