When we grow up in school, many of us have hidden talents, but often let them slide by the wayside as we grow up and try and to figure out what career we’re going to do for the rest of our lives. For Marianne Vander Dussen, much of her time in high school was spent with her sketchbook—in a time before smartphones—drawing faces of perfume models and exploring her art.
“In high school, I was also really big into painting,” she said. “In high school, I was really big into painting, I’m not sure why it was just something I’ve always had an affinity toward, it’s been what’s pulled me. I’ve always loved realism.”
However, when it came time to make her next big step in life, choosing a university and a program, Marianne didn’t think art would go anywhere so she made the decision most do, which was setting art aside.
“I did consider doing my degree in fine arts when I was choosing a university, but I didn’t think I’d be able to make it as a visual artist, so I thought I’d go with something more generalized,” she said. “That’s when I said goodbye to art until 2013.”
In 2013, Marianne made her way up North from Toronto for school but didn’t really know what to expect.
“Immediately upon driving into the city for the first time, I was struck by the natural beauty, and eager to explore all of the nearby trails,” Marianne said. “Almost every day, I'd be outside with my camera, spending breaks between classes walking new trails. It was around this time that I rediscovered painting.”
But when she got her brush back in hand, she quickly discovered things weren’t as easy as what she may have expected, having not practiced painting for so long.
“It was hard getting back into it,” she said. “If I didn’t have some amazing support I don’t think I would have made it, to be honest. I’ve never been afraid to ask for help when I’ve needed it. I’ve approached people asking how they’ve done certain things and I’ve had people teach me new ways of doing things, like new ways of mixing colour. It’s critical, no matter the creative field, to have the courage to ask for help.”
But with practice and dedication, Marianna began working her way back up with her art, until a couple years after starting up again, one of her professors asked her to paint a gift for his wife of their home.
“It’s a funny story,” she said. “He lives a half hour north and I hid in the bushes snapping photos of their house in the sunset so I could turn it into a painting. I put it up online saying I had done a commission and people started asking me to paint things. All it took was one person recognizing and giving external validation and more people started seeing it and it went from there.”
And since that first commission, that thought that Marianne had in high school of not being able to live off her art changed and it became a real possibility for her.
“It was exciting and very scary,” Marianne said as she started doing more and more commissions for people reaching out to her. “It’s exciting because it’s a bit of an adrenaline rush when people tell you your work has made them feel good. It can be very scary because you invest a lot of time and energy and you hope people are happy with the final product. It’s very vulnerable.”
And with any venture, there are highs and lows, but she said the highs have far outweighed the lows. Eventually, she event began teaching up and coming artists and/or people just looking to express themselves through paint nights.
“Paint night has been trending for a while now and friends of mine had done it elsewhere and as soon as I had studio space they had suggested to me that I host it,” she said. “This year alone I’ve taught with almost 1,600 canvases that have come in and out. People have been excited to grow their abilities and a few who have rediscovered painting through paint night and it’s exciting.”
But, as fun as it is to help others find their passions too, Marianne has always been keen on focusing on her art and creating stories.
“My great passion is painting the stories of the North and I call them stories because I want my paintings to be dynamic,” she said. “I try and capture moments in change, like sunsets and really share the motion of this beautiful place.”
