"I enjoy communicating my love for animals to the viewer through my paintings. These paintings are my words."

- Marie C. Kirkwood

Marie was raised across from a dairy farm in Brookhaven, Pennsylvania. Early every morning Marie remembers starting her day watching the farmer let the cows out of the barn and so began her fascination with animals. When Marie visited her grandma in Philadelphia she would chat with the next-door-neighbor, Tessy. One day Tessy gave her a book called, The Children's Book of Knowledge, which she still cherishes today. That book, which contained descriptions of animals all over the world created a curiosity about animals in Marie that would continue into adulthood. She still thoroughly researches the animal subjects and their habitat before beginning a new wildlife painting project.

When Marie was in grade school her guidance counselor saw that she had a talent for painting and encouraged her to pursue a career in art. She soon began painting in watercolors and oils at home. Although her parents encouraged her art-making, they did not see it as a full-time pursuit, so Marie went into the dental field while still keeping her hands in the arts as a side-line. Marie eventually decided to take some art classes with Brandywine Artist, Karl J. Kuerner, which was like turning on a light bulb. She began painting nature scenes to hang in her home. Soon she realized she could make some extra money from her paintings at student exhibitions. Then she decided to leave the dental field to go back to college to earn a degree in teaching. She soon found herself teaching art to adults with special needs at Devereux PA Adult Services located in Chester County.  She spent a decade with them and until the Covid-19 pandemic, she was still teaching a few days a month.  Marie feels blessed to now spend all her days full-time on her passion of nature and wildlife art.

Marie lives in Boothwyn, Pennsylvania with her husband, Rick and their Rescue Great Pyrenees mix, Yogi.