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Mara Orenstein

MARA ORENSTEIN

  • Home
  • Galleries
    • Black & White
    • Scientific Illustration
    • Watercolor
    • Oils
    • Posters
    • Commissions
  • Contact
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18 x 24 in. Private Collection.

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Artist Statement

I have been drawing and painting since before I can remember. Through artistic expression, I channel the love I have for the Earth and her creatures into something tangible: this humble object of devotion, the paint upon the canvas. I am self-taught in the medium of oil paint, gathering skills from community art classes, experimentation, and books from the library. I am deeply inspired by this place I am rooted, the Pacific Northwest, and its ecosystems continuously enchant me. For the past three years, my painterly obsession has been focused on moths found in the Pacific Northwest. Their maddening patterns, textures, and practically endless sources of color have surprised and delighted me, and I seek to share that colorful joy with my most recent collection of paintings. This collection of moths was made especially to celebrate ecologic biodiversity and represent under-appreciated subjects in the art world. Each painting itself becomes a work of devotion and diligence, and I seek to to bring viewers into a moment of peace and reflection upon our natural world & our interdependence with all of Earth's life and her elements.

Cirriculum Vitae

Education

2020

Certificate Natural Science Illustration, University of Washington, Seattle, WA
2018

BA Environmental Studies Spc. Ecological Systems, Seattle University, Seattle, WA 

Wildland Studies Chile Project: Patagonian Ecosystems 

Group Exhibitions

2025
Turn of the Tides, by Puget Sound Estuarium at The Olympia Center, Olympia, WA
Making Spirits Bright, New Bridge Community Church, Olympia, WA
Featured Artist Showcase Launch, The Carpenter’s House, Olympia, WA 
LoveOly WinterFest Maker’s Market, Olympia WA 
Fall Artswalk: Booth #61, Olympia, WA
Fascinating Forests, GNSI-NW Group Exhibit: Elizabeth C. Miller Library, Seattle, WA
Natural Science Illustration Art Gala: Era Living, Seattle, WA
Spring Artswalk: Soul Café, Olympia, WA 
2024  
Fall Zone 4 All: New Zone Art Gallery, Eugene, OR 
Spring Zone 4 All: New Zone Art Gallery, Eugene, OR


2023  
Changing Tides: Art of Environmental Stewardship: Coos Art Museum, Coos Bay, OR
February Pop-up Show: John Henry's Bar, Eugene, OR
Natural Science Art Show: Greenwood Art Collective, Seattle, WA


2022  
Pollinator Syndrome: Ghost Gallery, Seattle, WA

Awards

2025
Honorable Mention - Nature's Wonder Online Exhibit, Ten Moir Gallery
Finalist - Vibrant Colors Online Exhibit, Ten Moir Gallery

Societies
2023-2026 Member — Guild of Natural Science Illustrators, Northwest Chapter

2022-2024 Artist and Model — Eugene Figurative Arts, Eugene, OR

Teaching

2026

Student GREEN Congress: Creative Nature Workshop (1 day)

2025

Instructor: Painting with a Twist, Lacey, WA

Instructor: Art for Kids School, Olympia, WA

Liberty Creek Elementary: Nature’s Color Wheel Workshop (1 day)
2024

Student GREEN Congress: Nature’s Palette Workshop (1 day) 

Press

2014 The Verve: CV grad uses art to explore hidden purpose of humanity. https://www.spokesman.com/stories/2014/jul/17/the-verve-cv-grad-uses-art-to-explore-hidden/

Mara Orenstein
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Lodgepole Pinecone

Orenstein Home Collection. 2020.

Contact the Artist

all images copyright 2026 mara orenstein. all rights reserved.