Red Magnolia

46 x 72 inches, sand, glass and acrylic on canvas, 2026, Private Collection, London

I enjoyed working outside of my usual color palettes with this piece, incorporating rich and velvety burgundy shades alongside earthy greens. I also love building a centered and symmetrical composition, experimenting with keeping it interesting and dynamic yet balanced along the way.

I kept alternating between free-hand pours of color and masking out precise shapes. When I felt the composition become too stiff or predictable I added spontaneous marks. Then, I went back and outlined what I wanted to bring forward with tape and continued in this process until the finish line felt in sight.

Long Light

40 x 60 inches, sand, glass and acrylic on canvas, 2026, Public Collection, Florida

Untitled as of Yet

30 x 30 inches, sand, glass and acrylic on canvas, 2026, Public Collection, Florida

This painting was created for a placement in a chapel. I hoped to incorporate a sense of upward movement and expansion. I wanted to keep the composition minimal yet suggestive.

What’s Coming Up:

I'm excited to delve into a series of large-scale commissions for a project in Texas, more details to come!

What’s Ahead:

These 3D model designs represent upcoming wall sculptures and arrangements I plan to explore and create later this year. Visualized in Blender, they examine different variations of form, space, and new materials that I am interested in pursuing this year.

Red Petal Arrangement

concept envisioned with custom-made, 12 x 12 inch plywood panels wrapped in canvas, sand and acrylic media, 2026

Radiating Circle

concept envisioned with concrete, sand and acrylic, 2026

Blue Petal Arrangement

concept envisioned with custom-made, 12 x 12 inch plywood panels wrapped in canvas, sand and acrylic media, 2026

www.marinadunbar.com

My solo show, Natural Order, opened at Octavia Gallery in New Orleans last month. I’m presenting a group of new works and experiments that explore new forms, shapes, and color. For a brief look behind the scenes, you can watch these videos.

I recently finished a new commission for UHealth SoLé Mia in collaboration with Hillary Whitaker Gallery. I incorporated a warm palette using mauve, coral, and golden hues carry the energy of golden afternoon light. In a healthcare environment, I hope that warmth softens the space and suggests a renewed, quiet energy that feels bright and hopeful.

This is another commissioned piece I recently completed for a private collection in collaboration with Jacqueline Becker Fine Arts. The process is a balance of intuition and intention. I use washes of color to create movement and depth while incorporating defined shapes with tapes and masking materials. You can watch the video below for a behind the scenes view.

Lastly, here are a few clips from opening night in New Orleans last month!

Can I pick the orientation?

Yes—and this is new! In the past I haven't offered this, but every now and then I finish a work that truly works both horizontally and vertically (and I can’t decide which is better), so I’ll let you decide. :) This option is available only for select pieces in the collection—three, to be exact. You can choose vertical or horizontal, and I’ll sign it according to your preference. One vertical and one horizontal still belong to the same edition, so if 25 collectors choose vertical and 25 choose horizontal, it’s still a single edition of 50

Jungle I &II

Do the prints have texture like the originals?

The paper used for the prints has a subtle texture, like watercolor paper, but the prints themselves don’t include the actual sand texture found in the paintings. The illusion of texture, though, is very intentional. My paintings are photographed to preserve slight surface shadows that emphasize the sand; traditional art photography usually removes all shadows, but I intentionally keep a bit of them. Those shadows give the sand a sense of dimension, so from a few steps back you still see volume and texture like I originally intended. This approach was refined through plenty of trial and error—whenever we used standard lighting, the sand looked flat and lost its character—so we developed this method to truly capture the piece’s depth.

"In the series of paintings titled 'Jungle' I wanted to capture that feeling of heat and warmth—like being immersed in an ecosystem that feels both dense and limitless. Technically speaking, colors like yellow and orange are usually the hardest, because the transparent paint has a tendency to turn muddy fast. Warm‑toned sand behaves differently: the grains interact with the layers beneath through optical mixing, sitting beside the greens instead of forming another translucent hue on top. I use tones of coral, orange, and deep yellow to lay very thin veils over the dominant greens, hoping to create a sense of light, a depiction of something scattering and intangible with a material that’s inherently solid. I like that dichotomy, both in practice and in the idea itself."

Some of the paintings were inspired by Iris flowers. While mixing a blue color, I noticed the pigment began to separate as it dried. At first, I thought I’d have to wash the surface, but as it settled, it left behind a delicate network of lines that perfectly echoed the veins of a petal. That moment—unexpected and unpredictable—inspired the group of Iris paintings. I actually called the manufacturer to figure out what reaction causes this separation. I don’t know if that exact pattern will happen again, but for now it lives here. This reminds me about how sometimes what begins as a mistake becomes a highlight by the awareness to recognize its potential.

Like in all my paintings, I like to hold on to a certain looseness. I like to leave some drips on the surface because they remind me of the materiality of paint—of its weight, movement, and motion. I also like when a painting captures a sensation or impression without illustration, like it's not trying too hard. Trying too hard is not the same as trying. I think mystery gives the work space to breathe. For me, it's about allowing the image to stay open—like a memory that doesn’t need to be exact to feel true.

Texture played an important role as well; inspired by Alfred Leslie’s thickly-layered abstract works, I built certain areas into more pronounced, sculptural forms, leaving others transparent and thin. The subtle suggestion of a horizon line grounded the composition, creating a sense of expansive space—like standing at the ocean’s edge or an open field. Without depicting any specific location, it invited viewers to connect their own experiences with the work.

I've also been experimenting with a new exercise—starting paintings outdoors and letting them interact directly with the environment. This involves embracing elements like wind and rain, allowing these environmental factors to spontaneously shape textures and patterns as part of the painting process.

Working in the environment pushes my paintings toward what complexity theory describes as the "edge of chaos"—a state balanced between order and unpredictability, where creative evolution happens naturally. Bringing this dialogue between structure and chance back into the studio adds exciting new dimensions to my work, and I'm eager to continue exploring where it leads.

I was recently looking through paintings by Sam Francis and was especially drawn to how he incorporated strict geometric structures and grids into his compositions, balancing precise forms with fluid, vibrant color washes. This interplay between structured shapes and spontaneous gestures creates a tension that I'm exploring in my own pieces.

The music featured in this podcast is by Yaehsun.

Her work has been featured in Vogue, ArtNews, Hyperallergic, White Hot Magazine, Art Observed, Burnaway, New American Paintings and many more. 

In our conversation we talk about her experience at art school, finding your unique voice within abstraction, being authentic in your work, and much more. I hope you’ll enjoy this episode!