Marion Meyers: from advertising to art

North Durham is fortunate to have a vast selection of artists within its borders. To find one dedicated to promoting art in others is rare, but Marion Meyers is such a person. Not only is Marion a fantastic artist, she has also organized the Lake Scugog Studio Tour for several years, and has recently taken over the Presidency of the Scugog Council for the Arts.

Marion has always been interested in art. She took lessons at 10 years old and enrolled in the Arts program at Georges Vanier Secondary School. At the Ontario College of Art, Marion studied life drawing, but got her real break when she connected with the Robin K Art Gallery in Toronto. Her task was to collect old quilts from antique stores, and transform them into wall hangings, pillows, etc.

Of course, it is difficult to support a lifestyle as an artist, and Marion worked in retail to make ends meet. She started with Big Steel, part of the Fairweather chain, and quickly moved up the ladder into marketing. From there she attained a position at Shoppers Drug Mart as Director of Advertising, which she held for 16 years.

She continued to explore new avenues in art, becoming proficient in oil painting and pastels. In 1992, Marion and husband Richard, left Markham and moved to Port Perry. She started her own company, specializing in strategic planning and brand management. A few years later her love of art took over, and Marion started Creative Infusion.

Fifteen years ago Marion began to study encaustic painting. For those, not familiar with the term, it is a combination of bees wax and damar resin (from an East Indian tree), which is melted together and filtered. That becomes the medium. One paints on porous material, such as birch panels, while the product is still hot. The concept dates back to ancient Greeks, who used it for waterproofing their ships. The current process was developed by artist, Jasper Johns in the 1950s.

June is a busy month for Marion Meyers. Her solo exhibition at the Colborne Art Gallery opens with a reception on June 9th and runs until July 22nd. More info is available at thecolborneartgallery.ca, or send her a note at art@marionmeyers.com.