ARTIST STATEMENT
I am a visual artist working in two languages: living sculpture and painting. My biophilic designs transform plants and rescued vessels into functional art; my canvases carry the same heritage and storytelling in pigment. My mission? To soothe souls with beauty blending nature and artistry.
My favorite movie, When Harry Met Sally, sums me up: “There are two kinds of women: high maintenance and low maintenance. You’re the worst kind—you’re high maintenance, but you think you’re low maintenance.” That’s me in a nutshell. I want things just so, and that relentless pursuit of beauty, harmony, and balance fuels all I make.
I find God’s beauty in all living things—except flies, mosquitoes, snakes, and men with pinky rings. I began as a pioneering African American female homebuilder in the early 2000s, embracing sustainability and LEED before they were cool. That green foundation shapes my vision: art that harmonizes everyday spaces.
Raised by parents who conquered adversity with resilience and creativity, I learned nothing is impossible. My father, a jazz musician and entrepreneur, and my mother, an interior designer, taught me to chase beauty in every form.
My creative spark ignites when I find a rescued object or vessel and imagine which plant could elevate it. My nursery began with discount-bin rescue plants. The litmus test is the pairing: plant and vessel, until it feels right.
My living sculptures—succulents, cacti, exotic plants—connect people to nature. Each piece, plant or pigment, celebrates sustainability, heritage, and the sheer joy of making something beautiful.
ABOUT THE ARTIST
Marcia Shelf Orlandi is a mixed-media artist and biophilic designer based in Central Texas. Her practice spans living sculpture and painting—living botanical works built from repurposed vessels, and canvases where acrylic fields give way to hand-painted willow branches, wire botanicals, and jeweled insects.
Her credentials span art, design, and construction. She holds a B.A.A.S. from Texas State University, an A.A.S. in Homebuilding from St. Philip’s College, an A.A.S. in Real Estate from San Antonio College, and a designer certification from St. Mary’s University, with MBA coursework at Webster University. A certified Master Gardener and LEED-educated homebuilder, she spent over two decades applying biophilic design in commercial offices, medical practices, and healthcare environments.
Her national exposure includes two sculptures featured at Art City Chicago in Constellations: Cosmic & Celestial (September 2026). Her work has also been exhibited at the San Antonio African American Community Archive and Museum (SAACAM), the George Washington Carver Museum in Austin, La Zona Gallery, and In the Eye of the Beholder Gallery in San Antonio. She was a featured artist at Seguin’s Art and Wine Walk and produced public art installations for Centro San Antonio’s Art Everywhere Project.
She is the founder of MSO Art + Design and The Red Spoon Garden, whose proceeds support The Shelf Foundation, a 501(c)(3) providing arts scholarships.
© Marcia Shelf Orlandi