Marcia Klioze

Marcia Klioze is an award-winning portrait and figurative painter working and living in Leesburg, VA. She retired from a long career, spanning over 35 years, as an editorial and medical illustrator working on major contracts with the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and senior illustrator with The Washington Times World & I Magazine. In addition to senior staff positions she freelanced for major newspaper and magazine publications including the WSJ, Washington Times, and The Washington Post. Marcia studied fine art at The Corcoran School of Art and Design and Montgomery College, MD. After her illustration career she continued with her studies in oil painting through The Art Students League of Northern Virginia and The Art League, NY, with noted artists, Danni Dawson, Ted Reed, Mike Francis, Kurt Schwarz, and Ricky Mujica. She has taught painting in DC, Maryland, and Virginia and continues to enjoy teaching at her home studio in Leesburg, VA.

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Marcia is now immersed in traditional oil painting, both painting and teaching. She is a portrait and figurative painter known for her expressive portraits and figure paintings, and for her brilliant use of color. An award-winning artist whose work has been recognized by the National Portrait Society, National Oil and Acrylic Painters Society, Art Renewal Center, American Impressionist Society and many others. She most recently was recognized by the National Portrait Society’s 2025 Members Show placing 5thth in the Outside the Box category of her painting, Will Play for Wine. She recently was recognized by NOAP’s 2025 Best of America show at the James R. Ross Gallery in Indianapolis. In November 2025, Marcia enjoyed being part of a very successful two person show at the prestigious Arts Club of Washington, curated by Heidi Applegate of the National Gallery of Art.

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Artist Statement:

 

For me, painting is akin to composing—a blend of precision and improvisation. Each stroke is a note in the larger melody of the piece, working in concert to express the soul of my subject. My hope is that viewers not only see these paintings but feel and “hear” their essence, their harmony, and the profound impact on the world. Through my paintings, I strive to celebrate harmony and music as a universal language, bridging divides and bringing people closer together, one painting at a time. 

 

In my portraits of musicians, I seek to capture not only their likeness but the rhythm of their inner world—the emotion, passion, and energy that music ignites within them.

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I strive to capture their passion and bring it to life on canvas. I am fascinated by the way music can inspire and move us, and I seek to convey that same sense of inspiration and movement in my paintings. In addition to musicians, I enjoy painting children; children at play, the harmony in their relationships with each other, in nature, and nature. As a realist painter, I am always striving to capture the essence of my subjects. With children, I find that essence is often their innocence and playfulness, the sounds of giggles, sounds of water, and their surroundings. I wish to convey a timeless quality in my paintings that continues to resonate with the viewer, creating paintings that capture the beauty and essence of the people and things that inspire me.

Overall, my goal as an artist is to create paintings that are not just beautiful, but that also capture the essence of their subjects. Whether I am painting a musician lost in their music or a child at play, I hope to convey a sense of emotion and energy that will resonate with viewers for years to come.