A Glimpse into the Kaleidoscopic Art Work of Marilyn Martin

Marilyn Martin says she has always had a passion for Art, Antiques, especially Vintage Fashion and Art Glass and more recently Photography. And by looking at her work on Pixiport one can see that she is a very talented artist who portrays her love of the arts in her exquisite creations.

They are beautiful, ethereal, like floating gossamer wings. I was eager to discover more about her so in my emails I probed her with questions and received back some interesting information about her work and life, a most remarkable multi talented lady.

Hello Marilyn Your photographic images give me a sense and recollection of looking through a kaleidoscope when I was a child; the forms, movements and colours abound in magical fragments which burst into beautiful pictures. Superb work. How did it all happen?

Thank you Scarlet, I love the way you describe my photographs as kaleidoscope-like images, but it is difficult to put into words how my latest work happened. It started when I discovered digital and began experimenting with my digital camera, it seems to have evolved over time into a unique style with each image different to the other.

Yes, I see by your range from Abstract to Design in Motion series they are all so different but there is a fine line of connection. Your imprint; signature. Also textiles, textures and designs are prominent in your work, so they must have some importance to you, have you had any experience in these areas? Did you start by drawing and painting as a child??

My earliest memories and probably one of the first introductions to any sort of art was watching my Mother sketch something in the room to amuse me. She gave me the pencil and soon I was drawing castles in the sky; I discovered sketching could produce something magical. I also remember that my sister and I spent hours creating dresses and outfits for our celluloid dolls. We used scraps of our Mother`s leftover fabric from clothes she had made us and pinned them on the dolls, when the pinholes became bigger and bigger out went the dolls!

My Mother had many skills and knitted for a yarn company far into her later years and was certainly my uppermost influence and unfailingly encouraged me in any endeavour I chose. Much later after graduating from the Barbizon School of Fashion Modelling in NYC where I learned to look for quality in clothing and materials, I became interested in Vintage Fashion

So did you go into a career of Fashion design?

Well not really as at that time I met my husband and we moved to NY Fingers Lake region and brought up our five children

Wow that must have been a lot of work, did you have any time to pursue your art ?

Yes my children actually became an inspiration for creating, for instance I drew a series of which I called my Pocket Kids. These were sketches of my little ones performing their antics in the pockets, climbing in and falling out, tossing out their toys, a daughter lying back reading, a son dressed up to go skiing, standing in his pocket with his skis.

At some time my drawing was cartoon-like depicting the whole family in the back yard each performing their favourite activities. This probably was the result of my experience for a couple of years doing colour work on Disney comic books at Western Printing company And of course all their birthdays were exciting, creating special birthday cakes especially for the girls. I would place a small doll in the cake`s cavity and then make a gorgeous gown of coloured icing and real flowers. And at Halloween there was another chance to create and design their costumes, although I must admit some were far out and not always to their liking, but fun for me .

But after the children gradually left home I did take some informal lessons where I learned to mix oil paints to look like the Old Masters as we see them today. I soon became adept at painting miniatures on canvas in the mode of the great painters which I sold at miniature shows across the country. I also created and patented my design of a sculptured rose pillow that sold in a Victorian shop. And over the years I`ve sculpted figurines of my children and grandchildren when they were little and more recently sculpted a 1920 style dancing couple figurine to help raise money for charity….. Oh I also designed and painted a Sampler of our oldest daughters family. Over the years I have never been bored.

No I would think not, you have been busy and productive in your life and your art and now you say your latest passion is photography, how did this come about ?

Again it was my Mother who introduced me to photography, she had a simple box camera which as a teenager I borrowed to take on long hikes by myself, snapping what I thought were good composed scenes. I still have the black and whites but unfortunately not the camera. It was years later that I finally had a camera of my own when my children were little and it was thrilling to get colour photographs of them as they were growing up.

My early digital photos were family oriented at first, members wearing my vintage hats. Then came mannequins and real models patiently posing in my fashions. Loved the little girls who would play dress- up! I've designed wallpaper borders with these photos of varied themes, mannequins wearing fashions from different eras gathering under blossoming cherry trees. Mannequins in glamorous outfits in a garden setting, young girls telling the story of the fan and other tales. Little ones flying, holding onto parasols etc. Also designed one of cocktail hats on Cocktail glasses! I've designed a hanging lamp too, that holds photos or transparencies, changeable for different themes.

I love reading about and visualizing your memories, I am sure there are many many more. Today what stirs your imagination? What now is your work place like, do you have a special routine, listen to music? And whose art do you particularly admire?

Being brought up in the beautiful Hudson River area exposed me to the great art of the Hudson River artists. Impressionists certainly influenced my photography as well as paintings, Renoir and Monet are two of my favourites. Mary Cassatt for her mother and child paintings, Erte for his Art Deco style and fantastic fashions. And Maxfield Parrish for his light and blues. In the past I have tried to emulate, unsuccessfully I might say the style of Picasso, although it did lead me to find my own unique expression. As for my routine I am always anxious to get up early in the morning and take pictures before breakfast. I'm sure it's how the sunlight plays on colours I'm seeing around me. My studio has a northern exposure so I can't start photographing there. My photo designs are mainly about colour and light. Breakfast sometimes ends up being a little late because I can shoot around 20 pictures before I'm satisfied with one! I can really photograph at any time of the day to see what effects I get, sometimes adding a spot of light here and there. I'm not limited to mornings. Besides, our sunlight is scarce in winter!

I do like to have music on but most of it; iTunes, comes from my iMac in my studio, and World's Smoothest Jazz when I'm up-loading my pictures later. Although at this time I am listening to my favourite Glenn Miller music to help take me back in time and reflect on the questions you have asked.

Well it has certainly been an exciting journey for me and thank you so much for sharing your very fruitful life and eclectic art work. May you forever design and create beautiful images for us to enjoy. Scarlet James

Thank you Scarlet I don`t think I will ever stop designing, I just love it, in all mediums which is my passion at this stage of my life. I too have enjoyed this journey, sitting here reminiscing on cold snowy days in NY State, it has been more fun than I thought it would be! Thank you Marilyn

Marilyn Martin Gallery

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