Meet Marie Renfro

VISION, STYLE & INSPIRATION

I use color, intuitive marks, rhythm, movement, and texture to manipulate space as a source for my personal search for order in a conflicting world. With my artwork, I attempt to voice fears, celebrate awakenings and illuminate those contradictions that fill my field of vision.

The different textures, smooth and rough, of paper and canvas represent a contrast of misgivings and hopes, failures and victories, as well as roadblocks and deep abysses encountered in my life. There is always a source of light or transparency shining into each work which represents hope for a better day. The struggle for the organization of the painting speaks about survival and a reason for living.

My work is very personal and largely autobiographical. I feel that all my paintings have a relationship to an experience in my life as I rely to a large extent on intuition. Art is a definite way of knowledge or approach to truth. I do not get an idea for an image and then paint it; rather, the painting reveals to me, in the same manner as dreams, imagery that usually remains buried in the subconscious.

Central ideas such as spaces that I create remind me of places I have been and themes of feminine forms as well as landscape themes persist and re-emerge as I work. I trust my instincts and see my studio work as continuum of activity that is directed toward self-knowledge, awareness and inner growth. My art allows me to integrate experience, gives me an arena for playful discovery and supplies an outlet for reverie and reverence.

My recent work is my way of expressing color, texture and shape. It is not meant to represent any definable object. In some cases you get a hint of the subject but nothing totally spelled out for you. My work in the past has been using only transparent colors with only the white of the paper or collaged papers to make tints of color.

In the last few years I have wanted to add more opaque paint to my paintings thereby achieving the contrast of transparent color to opaque color. I have also loved using more painterly strokes and thicker paint. I found that I was also missing drawing so I have incorporated more lines into some of my pieces. I am using charcoal and inks for that. I use etchings, woodblock prints and mono-types to make my own collage material which makes the texture in my work very personal and different from anyone else.

TRAINING, AWARDS AND ACCOLADES

Color and creativity best describe Marie Renfro’s paintings in oil or water-media. A very versatile artist, Marie enjoys using various media to express her emotional response to a subject. An intuitive approach to painting helps her find compositions and subjects she might otherwise never consider.

Formal training includes a Master of Fine Arts Degree from Texas Woman’s University in Denton, Texas, with additional study in Switzerland, France, Holland, Italy, England and Russia.

Her work has been accepted in many area and international shows where it has won outstanding awards. She was the Plano Profile Artist of the Year in 2010 and recently won the Contemporary Watercolorists of Arizona Award in the Western Federation of Watercolor Societies as well as an Excellence Award in the Richardson Civic Art Society’s 48th Regional Juried Show. Her work has been published in Southwest Art Magazine and in the books, “Translating the Prairie” and “Journeys to Abstraction," by Sue St. John.

She has received many awards in competitions over the years (view awards). Her painting “Not Everything is Black & White," was accepted in the 96th International Exhibition of the National Watercolor Society and she was awarded signature membership in the Society.

She had a solo show at the Art Centre of Plano in 2014, and was included in a group show in 2019. Also, she had a solo show at the Blue House Too Gallery in Allen, Texas In 2017. Marie shared a show with her friend Missy Sofey Kyle at the Art Center of Plano in September through October 2022, and then in March 2023, she had a Retrospective Show, Fragments of my Life, at the Winnsboro Center for the Arts in Winnsboro, Texas. She followed that with a show in November through December 2023 at Texas Health Presbyterian Hospital in Plano, Texas.

Her work is included In many collections, including at Texas Woman’s University, in Denton, Texas; Presbyterian Hospital of Plano, Texas; Plano Profile, Plano, Texas; and Allen Public Library in Allen, Texas.

GALLERY AND ARTISTS' GROUP

In 1982, Marie was one of the founding members of the eight professional women artists of Gallery VIII. Gallery VIII was a unique fine art gallery offering original art in both traditional and contemporary styles. With one of the largest selections of watercolors in the Dallas metropolitan area, the gallery also featured oil, acrylic and encaustic paintings, collages, etchings, and mono-types. In addition, wearable fine art jewelry and fused glass could be found among the artists’ mediums.

Following 21 years as a vibrant retail art gallery, Gallery VIII became a creative online gallery offering all-original art. Gallery VIII was closed in 2002, but the members continued to have yearly studio tours for an additional 15 years.

Every year since 1991, Marie has been part of a group of artists who travel to Ingram, Texas and rent a studio at the Hill Country Arts Foundation to make art for 10 days. It continues still because it is a chance to paint together and experience the creative vibes of the participants. The group has adopted the name of AWOL, “Artist’s Without Limits”. They have had numerous shows there and have become well known in the area.

Marie Renfro's painting group in a workshop

Our workshop in Winnsboro, Texas.

THE EXQUISITE CORPSE PROJECT

In 2022, the year started with another rewarding trip to the beautiful beautiful Hill Country of Kerrville and Ingram, Texas. Ten days of uninterrupted studio time was a welcome beginning to the year.

The artists who attended all created three pieces in their studios at home to be included in a collaborative exhibit — head, torso and legs — without knowledge of what the other artists were creating. The gallery staff installed the show, which produced a creative and entertaining exhibit. A great success!

IN THE STUDIO

“My biggest love is to come out here in the morning and stand out here and play all day long because to me that’s what art is – it’s play. I just paint. If it turns out, it turns out. If it doesn’t, it doesn’t.

My work is my play. I just love it. I still do. I haven’t burned out. People say you get writer’s block or painter’s block, but I’ve never had painter’s block. I’ve always wanted to paint more and more. In fact if I don’t paint for two weeks, then I’m just dying to get at it.”

—MARIE RENFRO

Curriculum Vitae

EDUCATION

Master of Fine Arts, Texas Woman's University, 1995
Bachelor of Fine Arts, Texas Woman’s University, Graduated magna cum laude, 1992
Associate of Arts Degree, Collin County Community College, Graduated magna cum laude, 1988
Study abroad: Switzerland, France, Holland, Italy, England, Russia, Spain, and Greece.

SOLO SHOWS

December 1995 – MFA show at Texas Woman’s University, including watercolor and oil paintings and ceramic sculpture
1982-2003 – Individual and group shows at Gallery VIII, Plano, Texas
2002 “Kaleidoscope” – 1550 Gallery, Kerrville, Texas
1995-2002 – Group Faculty Exhibitions, Collin County Community College, Plano, Texas
January 2004– Laredo Center for the Arts, Laredo, Texas
August 2004 – Lobby of Courtyard Theater, Plano, Texas
2009 – Blue House, Allen, Texas
2009 – Garret Gallery, McKinney, Texas
2009 – Royal Lane Baptist Church Gallery, Dallas, Texas
2011 – Royal Lane Baptist Church Gallery, Dallas, Texas
2014 – Art Centre of Plano, Plano, Texas
2017 – Blue House Gallery II, Allen, Texas
2019 – Group Show at Art Centre of Plano, Texas
2022 – Show with Missy Sofey Kyle at Art Centre of Plano, Texas
2023 – Retrospective Show “Fragments of My Life” at Winnsboro Center for the Arts, Winnsboro, Texas

PUBLICATIONS

2009 – Illustration for art and poetry book, “Translating the Prairie,” Plano, Texas
2010 – Included in DVD and E-Book by Sue St. John, “A Walk into Abstracts”. Also included in the book entitled “Journeys to Abstraction," 2011
Southwest Art Magazine – May 1993, July 2018

AWARDS

2005 – Texas and Neighbors Show, Irving Art Center, Irving Art Association Award of Excellence (Doug Dawson, Juror)
2005 – Annual Regional Juried Art Show, Richardson Civic Art Society, First Place, Mixed Media (Rob Erdle, Juror)
10th Annual International Juried Exhibition, 2002 – Laredo Center for the Arts, Laredo, Texas, Second Place (Juergen Strunck, Juror)
28th National Watercolor Oklahoma, Kirkpatrick Galleries, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, OWA Investment Award, 2002, (Virginia Cobb, Juror)
8th Annual International Juried Exhibition, 2000, Laredo Center for the Arts, Laredo, Texas, First Place (Kathy Vargas, Juror)
Watercolor without boundaries, Texas-Italy, 2001, Southwestern Watercolor Society, Irving, Texas, Milan, Italy
First Frontier Collage Society, 2nd Annual Exhibition, Austin, Texas, First Place, 2000
Texas Visual Arts Assoc. Citation 98, Best of Show, Mixed Media
Plano Art Association – First Place, Mixed
Media Plano Art Centre, Plano, Texas, l996
North Texas Area Art League – Tara/Fredrix
Artist Award, Denton, Texas 1993
Western Federation of Watercolor Societies, Merit Award, Albuquerque Museum, Albuquerque, New Mexico, 1992
North Texas Area Art League Award and Grumbacher Silver Medal Award for Excellence, Denton, Texas, 1991
Artists and Craftsman Signature Award, Dallas, Texas, 1990
Southwestern Watercolor Society Signature Award, Dallas, Texas, 1988
Western Federation of Watercolor Societies, Medal of Excellence, San Antonio Texas, 1988
Richardson Civic Art Society-Best of Show, Richardson, Texas 1986 and 1985

COLLECTIONS

NUMBEROUS CORPORATE & PRIVATE COLLECTIONS

PARTIAL LISTING

Northern Telecom, Richardson, Texas
Texas Woman's University, Denton, Texas
Community Credit Union, Plano, Texas
Allen Public Library, Allen, Texas,
Presbyterian Hospital of Plano, Texas

ORGANIZATIONS

Plano Art Association, Lifetime Membership
Artists & Craftsmen Associated, Signature Membership
Southwestern Watercolor Society, Signature Membership
Texas Visual Arts Association, Signature Membership
National Watercolor Society, Signature Membership
Western Federation of Watercolor Societies, Signature Membership
National Watercolor Oklahoma, Signature Membership

JURIED

Navarro Council of the Arts, Twenty-Second Annual National Juried Art Exhibition, 2005
2005 National Juried Exhibition, Plano Art Association
Texas Watercolor Society, 56th Annual Exhibit 2005 (Carole Barnes, Juror), San Antonio, Texas
Laredo Center for the Arts, 12th Annual International Juried Exhibition, 2004 (Warren Taylor, Juror)
Thirtieth Exhibition National Watercolor Oklahoma, 2004 (Marilyn Hughey Phillis, Juror)
Richardson Civic Art Society, 30th Annual Regional Juried Art Show, (Steve Grey, Juror), Richardson, Texas, 1996
Texas Visual Arts Association., Citation 95 (Catherine Chang Liu, Juror) Dallas, Texas, 1995
Dallas Women's Caucus for Art, Conflicts and Solutions, (Marla Price, Juror), Dallas, Texas, 1992

HONORS

Leman Award, Outstanding Artistic Contribution to the University - Scholarship for Graduate Study 1993, Texas Woman’s University
Who's Who Among Students in American Universities and Colleges - 1993 – l996
University Honor Roll -1991 & 1992
Phi Kappa Phi Sorority - 1991, 1995
Alpha Chi Sorority -1990