At the age of ten Marlene Sweger was chosen as one of two children from her public school to attend the Tamoshanter drawing class at the Carnegie Museum.  This marked the beginning of an art career which she has pursued ever since.

As a former member of the Laurel Art guild, she served as president during 1980-81.  She has held major shows at the Montpelier Carriage House in Laurel; her paintings have been selected for the Annual Laurel Art Guild Juried shows, the Laurel Race Track's International Show, the House of Delegates in Annapolis, The Art Barn in Rock Creek Park, and the Capital Center Gallery.  Her paintings have also been shown in Washington D.C., including the FCIC building, the opening of the "Artists in Action" program on the Mall and Hogate's Waterfront opening.  They have also been shown at the opening of the Inner Harbor in Baltimore and at a one-person show at the Prince George's County Media and Film Offices in Landover.  Most recently she has been showing her work in her studio and at the Woods Gallery.

Marlene was elected to the Baltimore Watercolor Society in March, 1980 and has had paintings selected for their annual watercolor exhibitions at the Johns Hopkins Auditorium.  She is currently teaching classes at Heritage Harbor for Anne Arundel Community College.  She is a Woods member.

Marlene works in a very loose style which captures the essence of watercolor's fluidity and movement.  While inspired by the beauty of nature, she prefers to "let the paint work its magic" regardless of subject.