Artist Highlights- Mardie Dalzell Driftmier

Mardie began her studies at Ohio Wesleyan University and rounded out her art education at Gage Academy of Art, Seattle. Her first class at Gage, Pastel 101, captured her heart, and a decade and a half of steady pastel production has followed. “I want my pastels to tell you the story of the land . When you stand beside the Sacramento River, out in a field or even on a street corner, what do you see, how do the surroundings feel to you, who are the stewards of the rich heritage and agricultural traditions of the California Delta and Central Valley? So many stories to tell.” Mardie grew up in the rolling hills of West Virginia beside the mighty Ohio River, and now resides in the San Joaquin Valley.