About Marcia

Marcia Willman’s life-long love of watercolors was first inspired by family friend and well-known Kansas City watercolor artist, Mathew Monks. She took her first art class with Mathew at the Nelson Atkins Museum as a child. After graduating college with a degree in political science, Marcia moved to San Francisco where she discovered the local art scene and learned watercolor and collage art from Canadian artist, David Tygesen. Together they started a Color Xerox art business before Color Xerox was commercially available and tagged the streets of San Francisco with play bills featuring punk bands before returning to Kansas City where she pursued a Master’s in Public Administration and worked for years in nonprofit management. As a creative outlet while working, Marcia took watercolor classes with Ed Fenendael from 1998 through 2013 and completed a certificate in fine arts with a painting emphasis from the Kansas City Art Institute in 2010. Recently she has taken master workshops with world renowned watercolor artists Joseph Zbukvic, Andy Evansen, Alvaro Castagnet, and Mary Whyte.

Since 2012, Marcia concentrates on painting watercolor en plein air (outdoors). She loves spending time outside and cares deeply about our fragile environment: both natural and built. She enjoys painting urban streets, small towns, parks, conservation areas, and in the countryside. Marcia paints the mood, atmosphere, and feelings engendered from becoming one with each scene. She thrives on the challenge of plein air festivals where the encouragement of patrons and spectators and the exposure to and camaraderie with other artists informs and inspires her personal artistic growth. Marcia has enjoyed winning a few awards and selling a number of paintings in regional plein air competitions.

Marcia has been tweaking her plein air equipment since her first outings and in 2020 launched a product line of WatercolorGear™ to commercially produce her ergonomic, lightweight, mobile, versatile and cool gear for painting with watercolor on location and in the studio. Sign-up to receive more information and receive an early adopter discount.

Marcia created Wine & Watercolor to introduce watercolor techniques to new audiences in a relaxed, social environment. Wine & Watercolor are paint and sip parties held in private homes, businesses, and during special events.  Each player completes a painting by the end of a two-hour session.

In 2008, Marcia started Watercolors for a Cause to help two Kenyan children living in poverty. She raised over $8,000 from the sale of her watercolors to pay educational expenses for both children and purchase land and building materials when one of the families became homeless.

Marcia has participated in numerous solo, juried, invitational and group shows since 2000. Her works are in corporate and private collections from California to New York.

Marcia is a member of the American Watercolor Society, Missouri Watercolor Society, Missouri Valley Impressionist Society, and Urban Sketchers of Kansas City.