About Us

Marlena Hebenstreit is a Cincinnati-based portrait painter whose work reflects her love for people and their animal companions. She seeks not only to create a likeness, but also to reveal the qualities that make each subject unique. Raised in a family of professional artists, Marlena was immersed in art from an early age and developed an appreciation for many artistic traditions. She became especially drawn to the technical mastery and rich tradition of the Old Masters as well as the fresh, expressive freedom of Impressionism. Marlena studied at the Cincinnati Academy of Design and the Art Academy of Cincinnati. Over the years, she explored gouache, watercolor, acrylic, and oil paint, ultimately finding her greatest love in oils - “the medium that forgives.” Her work has received numerous national awards and is held in private collections throughout the country. Among these works is a portrait series of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., created for the Museum of Spiritual Art and now held by Enclave. Her recent work includes portraits of inductees to the Cincinnati Reds Hall of Fame. Today, Marlena creates commissioned portraits for private clients from her Cincinnati studio. She is also the proud mother of three wildly creative children, whose curiosity and imagination continue to inspire her.

Articles

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  Arts + Culture

  What Makes a Portrait Great

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