Hello and Welcome!

My name is Marlee Rae and I am a Canadian Visual Artist, Illustrator and Designer inspired by the Pacific Northwest’s dense forests, snow-capped mountains, ocean views and the creatures I share my home with.

My creative pursuits, sense of wonder and imagination began as a child. While I grew up in the city my parents would pack up our home and take us to BC’s interior for the summer months. We lived in a cabin on a lake without TV or internet, the phone was still on a party line with the neighbouring cabins (I loved to eavesdrop)! Without todays screen distractions my younger brother and I made our own fun by playing outdoors and creating imagined worlds. I read a lot of books and made all kinds of art. My Mom encouraged our creativity, spirit and imagination by providing art supplies and was the best set director and costume designer! The forest and lake was our playground where we told stories of fairies, swam with lake monsters and built troll fortresses. Learning and exploring our natural surroundings led me to creating work that holds the magic, imagination and excitement we shared as kids in our wild backyard.

Needless to say, I had a great childhood and while I have taken detours off my path as an artist over the years, I always come back to my creativity. Art and imagination are part of me and I can’t live without it.

With a Degree in Visual Arts from Emily Carr and a Diploma in Graphic Design I now live on Vancouver Island with my husband, Dave and our dog, Nimmy. I mainly work with Acrylic, Gouache and Watercolour paint along with digital applications like Photoshop and Procreate.  My studio is located in a small town by the sea where you can find me most days wandering the forests or collecting beach glass with Nimmy by my side. My paintings and Illustrations are inspired by these walks, my childhood memories with a sprinkle of whimsy. I wish to bring a sense of peace, wonder, and curiosity to those who experience my art.

If you have read this far, I thank you for being here, showing up on my social media, supporting my work and allowing me to do the thing I love most: create!