Marian Fortunati is a contemporary oil painter whose canvases reflect her world. Her impressionistic style continues to develop as she strives to capture the essential features of a place or a person.

Marian  was born in a suburb of Los Angeles.  She recently retired from a successful career as a teacher, school principal and data manager.   In the late 1990s she decided pursue her interests in fine art.  She began taking classes from a local art program, Mission Renaissance, and continued to expand her skills and ideas through a variety of workshops with artists she admires.  Artists such as Scott Burdick,  Karl Dempwolf, Anita Hampton,  Calvin Liang, Jeremy Lipking, Camille Przewodik, Johanna Spinks, John Paul Thornton, and  Ryan Wurmser have provided inspiration and advice throughout the past several years during workshops and classes.

She has received numerous awards for her paintings.  In June (2007), one of her casual family portraits, "Spirit" was favorably critiqued in The Artists' Magazine online.  Her work has been juried into many shows including the Palm Spring Art Museum's Artists Council 38th Annual National Juried Exhibition. 

She is a member of the California Art Club and the San Fernando Valley Art Club and is an exhibiting member of the Valley Artists' Guild.   

The masters she most admires include John Singer Sargent, Diego Velasquez, and Joaquin Sorolla.  She continues to explore and practice her skills and hopes to produce work that will delight and comfort viewers.

Marian states "For me, painting is an experience that energizes. Time seems to fly by when I paint.  It is a joy to interact with nature or with a moment in time.   I work to capture the light, a mood, or the appealing character of a person. My hope is that a viewer will identify with the painting - there will be an emotional connection.   Sometimes capturing it just right is a struggle, and sometimes the painting pulls me along - I lose myself in it."