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Actor Portia De Rossi’s new favourite Australian artist

We’ve been fans of the talented Bendigo based abstract artist Marcia Priestly (of Bibi Ana + Co) for a while now, so we weren’t surprised to hear that she’d made headway in the US. Marcia was recently picked up by the actor (and wife of Ellen de Generes) Portia De Rossi, who is now representing her stateside through her Los Angeles based art curation and publishing company General Public.

Untitled II
‘Untitled II’ is part of Marcia’s collection for General Public

“After submitting a piece of work to GPA, Portia reached out to me personally (could you imagine my excitement!) and told me she instantly connected to my work, so I developed a range, over time, to form a collection of 20 works,” says Marcia of the textured print collection. It’s quite the coup for the Bendigo-based artist who is sold locally through Greenhouse Interiors.

Many of the works were produced in mini-series creating diptych and triptych narratives and they are all printed using a ground-breaking 3D technology that recreates very small details in high fidelity. “It’s truly amazing technology!” says Marcia.

Marcia Priestley
‘Liberty’
Marcia Priestley
Fleur-de-lys

The collection is based around the artist’s signature abstract expressive style and many of them were painted when COVID-19 first emerged. “I was reminded of the illness I had personally suffered a decade prior, but miraculously overcame even though I was never predicted to. It’s an unusual, strong and emotive sequence based on the challenges we have and our strong will for survival,” says Marcia.

Marcia Priestley in her studio

Serene landscapes sit alongside strong, expressive strokes in the works that are being sold online and through the coveted US stores Restoration Hardware. “There are some really strong works there, paired back with simple, serene landscapes. Some of these pieces are important pieces of mine, so I am very pleased they are now being offered in the US. I can’t wait to travel there very soon to see them in person.”

Marcia Priestley
‘Mountain Ridge II’

For more on General Public | Shop Marcia Priestley online

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Art Interviews

Bibi Ana + Co.’s new Contour Collection

Marcia Priestley’s latest works are about so much more than the female silhouette, but it’s certainly a beautiful place to start. Known best for her line art inspired by the female form, if you like that, you’re probably going to love these new abstract works!

Nude

What’s more, the Bendigo artist is now taking commissions for family portraits in this style. What a precious and unique keepsake and future heirloom that could be!

Colour

Her paintings serve first to illustrate the contour lines of a female silhouette, but when you look more deeply, they’re designed to reveal a certain integrity and grace within each individual subject. It’s easy to see how the curves of Marcia’s new collection complement a Mid Century Modern aesthetic, with sumptuous silhouettes formed by her organic approach.

Marcia, who works as an artist under the brand Bibi Ana + Co. (meaning a story about a woman) has a diverse style depending on her mood, but her signature style would have to be her line works which have more recently been developed into her latest original art range, the Contour Collection.

Lollo, one of Marcia’s line sketches

The clean, simple lines have been designed with predominantly earthy tones. You could say her unique style has been carefully curated to pair with her lifelong axiom: ‘The simple things in life are often the best’ 

Femme

Endlessly inspired by Mother Nature, Marcia paints in a studio surrounded by the Australian bush. Forever experimenting with line design, her symbolic and minimal style is derived from one single fluid line in a simplistic yet powerful formation.

“I’m diverse in my thinking,” Marcia says. “I paint what I see which translates into what I feel. I paint from emotion. About how I see myself and how I see others. I paint from inspiration I find in love, passion, vulnerability and strength.

“My goal is to capture a feeling rather than just a simple image. Art gives me the freedom to be myself”

Julia Green of Greenhouse Interiors, who represents her, says: “Beauty often lies in simplicity; sometimes the most uncomplicated pieces of art are the most captivating, and so it is with Bibi Ana + Co. With no more than a few strokes, Marcia creates an alluring sketch of the female silhouette.

“Her collection of works capture the dignity, elegance and grandeur of the female form, and each piece evokes a seperate emotion that is left to its audience to interpret. These contemporary creations are as impactful as they are unassuming, and are examples of modern line artistry at its finest.”

Contour Collection limited edition prints start at $295.

Shop originals and prints online at Greenhouse Interiors.

Visit the Bibi Ana + Co. website

IMAGES: Styling by Julia Green assisted by Aisha Chaudhry and Jess Retallack with photography by Armelle Habib. 

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Art Interviews

Currently coveting: Bibi Ana + Co’s latest artworks

Artist Marcia Priestley, of Bibi Ana + Co., has released a new collection that, while inspired by animals and plants, combines them in a uniquely abstract way. “I fell in love with the challenge of combining two antithetical subjects from our natural environment to create one compatible, organic, yet lively statement,” says Marcia.

'Tiger Plant'
‘Tiger Plant’

For example, ‘Tiger Plant’ (Marcia’s favourite from the new collection) looks almost like an animal print save for its green and blue hues. Similarly, ‘Palm Birds Pink Lake East’ is a line sketch that combines a palm tree and stork bird rendered in gorgeous peach, blush and green tones.

'Palm Birds Pink Lake East'
‘Palm Birds Pink Lake East’ features palm fronds and a stork

“Other pieces in this collection that are reminiscent of animal print include ‘Outbloom Night.’ I particularly love the way this piece has muted tones with a soft chalk-like finish that looks like plants at dusk,” says Marcia referring to one of two round pieces that feature in the range.

'Outbloom Night'
‘Outbloom Night’

‘Wild Wisteria’ is brimming with 1970’s inspired tones – mustard, terracotta, khaki and navy make for a vigorous mix. “It has a colossal amount of colour and texture and it’s such a fun piece. Interestingly, it works so well when combined with old pieces of furniture as it injects new life into them,” says Marcia who currently has the piece at home paired with an old Asian sideboard.

'Wild Wisteria'
‘Wild Wisteria’

Another round piece, ‘Posy & Posey’ is loaded with colour and texture – avocado and sage green jostle for attention alongside rust and blush tones. “It was an interesting piece to paint because each individual segment, or petal, of each flower has quite a lot of texture which was needed to give it depth,” says Marcia.

'Posy & Posey'
‘Posy & Posey’

Rather amusingly, Marcia’s decision to create a couple of circular canvasses was borne out of a desire to avoid moving to a new house! “I love the aesthetic of a round window in a home as it feels so calming. But the problem was, I didn’t want to build a new house to get one, so I painted a picture on a round canvas to give me the closest effect I’m going to get to a round window!”

'Plant Room'
‘Plant Room’

The smallest piece in the collection, ‘Foliole’ is another of her most cherished pieces – in it, the artist has homed in on the structure of a leaf. “It’s got a thriving organic nature about it which, to look at, feels so gentle and easy on the eye.”

'Foliole'
‘Foliole’

Photography: Leon Schoots | Styling: Aisha Chaudhry for Greenhouse Interiors, assisted by Sophie Lennon | Furniture: Make Your House A Home

Shop prints and originals online | How to buy art like an experienced collector