Welcome, and thank you for visiting my site!

My name is Makayla Marchese-Svetnik (she/her), and I am an artist, horticulturist, and environmental advocate living in Queens, NY. I practice art between Queens and my studio space in Gowanus. Originally from Gowanus, Brooklyn, I love to explore the intersections of environmentalism, the human connection to nature, and self-discovery through my photography work, documenting nature and the world around me. Primarily using film photography as my creative medium.

Beyond my artistic pursuits, I am deeply involved in horticulture and hold a certificate in horticulture from the Brooklyn Botanic Garden. My passion for plants extends to hands-on care and education, with a focus on native species and sustainable plant practices. I bring this dedication to my role as cofounder of PlantXChange, a collective I have proudly been part of since 2020. At PlantXChange, I contribute through plant propagation, administrative coordination, and facilitating community events, where I share knowledge about plant care and the importance of native plants.

When I am not immersed in creative or green projects, I share my home with my partner Mateo, our beloved cat Casper, and our loyal dog Pablo. Together, we cultivate a life rooted in creativity, community, and a love for the natural world.

A young woman with dyed green hair styled in braids, wearing dark lipstick, a black tank top, and colorful patchwork pants, sitting on a small wooden stool in front of a painted backdrop resembling a door and greenery, with a green mesh shawl draped over her arm, multiple tattoos visible on her arm, and wearing a beaded necklace.

Services

Photography
Art Direction
Photo Retouching/Editing

Plant Care
IPM management
Indoor Plant Design

Sunlight entering a room through a window with five potted plants on the windowsill and two larger potted plants on the floor, casting shadows on the gray tiled floor.
Modern interior office space with large windows, green potted plants, black, gray, and green carpets, white walls, and exposed ceiling pipes.
Indoor lounge area with a gray sectional sofa, a rustic wooden coffee table with magazines, and a potted plant in the foreground. The background features large windows and a mesh divider wall.
Two large potted indoor plants, a Monstera on the left with distinctive split leaves, and a tall Dracaena on the right, inside a room with white walls and a fluorescent ceiling light.
A large potted rubber plant with dark green, shiny leaves sits on a white sill in front of a window. Outside the window, tall modern buildings and a cloudy sky are visible.
Indoor scene with a green wall, Halloween pumpkins, skulls, and decorative items, with a plain concrete floor and part of a doorway visible on the left.
Indoor scene with a large green leafy plant on a white stand, wooden flooring, white wall with a vent, light fixture, and electrical outlet, with some objects at the bottom.
A cozy living space with large windows letting in natural light, decorated with multiple green houseplants, framed artwork on the white walls, a patterned rug on wooden flooring, and small wooden tables.
Indoor office space with wooden floors, natural light from windows, green plants, lockers on the right, and chairs around a table in the background, framed by a metal structure with hanging plants.
A tall vertical garden with different green leafy plants arranged in rows against a white wall.
A city park with a paved pathway, lush green grass, and vibrant red flowers. Tall trees line the pathway, with high-rise buildings in the background. Two people are standing and talking near benches on the right side of the image, with one woman gesturing as she speaks.
A large stone planter containing various plants including branches with red stems, green foliage, and pinecones, situated on a city sidewalk with benches, trees, and buildings visible in the background.
A view of a large beige parking garage with an open design, surrounded by green trees and flowers, with a wooden park bench in the foreground and a blue parking sign.
A large white planter filled with a variety of green plants and red berries, small white branches, and some purple and green vegetables, placed on a sidewalk. In the background, there is a street with parked cars and brick buildings.
A man sitting on a park bench facing a fountain with water spraying upward, surrounded by trees and flowers, with a tall building in the background.