Marnie Tenden grew up in upstate New York. She won her first (and last) art award in kindergarten for a drawing of children skipping in a circle – one going in the opposite direction. She guesses that that child was her, because it took her another 60 years to get back into creating art in a serious way. What spurred her to paint?… Moving to Cathedral City in 2018 and experiencing a 110-degree plus summer when it was simply too hot to be outside!

Her painting style of Abstract Realism has evolved from melding her love of graphic design and photography into innovative and provocative translations to canvas using acrylic paint. Her art has been exhibited in the Woodman Shimko Gallery, stores and spas in Palm Springs, and various art shows. Several of the much larger original paintings that you see here have been sold to art patrons across the U.S.

During the years between her first art award and move to Palm Springs, first in New York City and then Los Angeles as an Advertising Executive, her creativity was central to her work. When she started her own agency in 2008, designing web sites, logos, graphics and brochures, she dove deeper into her creativity. Her last creative enterprise before venturing into “real art” was the creation of Smarty Paws. Inspired by her smart Aussie, her company sells leashes embroidered with things that dogs could say if they could talk, like “Who’s Walking Who?” A percentage of all her sales goes to the support of animal rescue organizations. You can find a leash and join the cause at https://thesmartypaws.com.