Marian Berger
Take a look at Marianʻs Honu in progress! Click here.
Marian is as precious as her watercolors. Her birds and flora are depicted with skilled care. She is a huge gift to Hawaiʻi and a legacy in Volcano on the Big Island and throughout the state of Hawaiʻi.
In Hawaii today, more native species face extinction than anywhere else in America. Sensitive to this statistic and compelled by the beauty of the islands, Marian Berger has stepped behind the scenes of nature and has captured on canvas the endemic creatures which many people don’t even know exist. Her talent is a moving tribute to many of the world’s precious birds.
Born in Limerick, Ireland, the daughter of a meteorologist, Marian spent her early childhood on Wake Island and Alaska where she acquired her father’s love of science, her mother’s artistic bent and her parents’ mutual love of the outdoors. I assumed that art was a natural part of life, a way that everyone expressed themselves, she says.
During her teens, Marian focused on abstracts until she took a class at Humboldt University in representational drawing which opened my eyes. Today, fine details combined with soft hued areas give her birds a warmth that makes them come alive.
After graduating from Humboldt with a degree in wildlife management, Marian moved to the Big Island of Hawaii in 1976 where she has received many commissions. In 1987, she created a series of paintings of Kauai’s most endangered birds and plants for the rooms at the Aston Kauai Resort. An edition of 2000 prints was published and proceeds from the sales were given to the Hawaii Nature Conservancy. Two of her pieces also appeared in the Bishop Museum 1988 Calendar of Natural Events. In the same year, she painted a number of watercolors presented to Senator Inouye and Representative Akaka for their contributions in preserving Hawaii’s native wildlife. She has been commissioned to paint a mural for the Hyatt Regency in Waikoloa as well as many paintings for Hawaii Volcanoes National Park.
