The Artful Home: Marci Washington

Let's just get this out of the way: Marci Washington's art is a little scary. It's dark and foreboding and it might just keep you up at night.

But from the first time I saw it, I was utterly riveted by the Oakland painter's work, which has been shown in galleries from California to Europe and Australia.

There is, quite literally, a story behind each piece, which together play out like a murderous Edwardian melodrama -- and manage to claw their way under your skin as you ponder the mysterious tale taking place on the canvas.

As Washington says of her gothic narratives, "It's like I'm illustrating a novel that doesn't exist. If it did, it would probably be a lot like Wuthering Heights, Jane Eyre, or Bleak House -- novels which function as social commentary as well as beautiful romantic epics."

Washington's original paintings start at about $1,500 and are available through San Francisco's Rena Bransten Gallery. But for those of us on a budget, she does have a limited-edition lithograph of From the Depths, above, for $50 from Receiver Gallery.

If you're in the Bay Area, Washington (and more than two dozen of her fellow emerging artists) will be part of the California College of the Arts 2008 MFA Exhibition. The opening reception is Thursday, May 8, from 6 to 9 p.m., and the show runs through Saturday, May 17, at 1111 Eighth St. at Hooper in San Francisco.

See more of Washington's haunting work right here.