Marlene Sinicki
I create visual haikus of hope and beauty that remind us to care for the planet.
MessageMarlene’s painting practice has been shaped by a journey through different creative disciplines that all inform how she sees and creates today. Years behind a camera taught her to notice light—how it transforms ordinary moments into something extraordinary. That photographer's eye for finding beauty in small details now guides her when she's looking for compositions in nature.
Her writing background brought an understanding of metaphor and symbolism that flows naturally into her abstract work. Marlene's always thinking about the deeper story, and that intentionality carries over into her paintings. She wants each piece to communicate something meaningful beyond just what you see on the surface.
Leading art and creativity workshops taught her how to translate complex ideas into accessible visual language. Even her design work has contributed layers—every project has shown her something new about how color communicates, how composition guides attention, or how a single brushstroke can carry unexpected weight.
The result is art that draws on everything she knows about visual communication to explore the profound beauty and interconnectedness of natural systems. Her paintings become both a celebration of the living world and a quiet meditation on our connection to it.
Marlene is available for marketing, illustration, and editorial assignments, teaching opportunities, and creative collaborations. Check out her design & storytelling services at lilomar.com
Statement
The trails, wetlands, beaches, bluffs, meadows, and gardens throughout San Francisco provide endless sources of inspiration. Golden Gate Park, the Richmond District, Presidio, and Land’s End are my neighbors. Whether it's dappled light filtering through eucalyptus groves, the upturned petals of magnolia blossoms, golden dune grass bending in the wind, or a trail disappearing into thick fog, these moments spark my imagination.
My studies of plants and landscapes blend fact with fiction. I take imaginative leaps, weaving stories into every mark and shape. Each brushstroke becomes a songline that interprets what I'm seeing and feeling in that moment.
Through stillness and what I call "soft fascination," I discover the fleeting beauty and light in each setting. I try to see the world through nature's eyes, where landscapes speak in gentle lines, pure colors, textured surfaces, and the sensual curves of the earth.
By shifting my focus from myself to the natural world around me, I bring the outside in. Each piece becomes a living document—capturing silent dialogues and stories with many possible endings. These intimate encounters inspire me to make the invisible visible and reveal what I think of as "the light within."