ABOUT THE ARTIST

My name is Becca Martin. I lived most of my life in Alaska, but I have been a midwesterner for several years. I studied art at Willamette University in Salem, Oregon and have been a freelance artist ever since. My training is very classical which still shows in my work.

My personal tastes run to the French Impressionists; particularly the works of Manet, Caillebotte, Morrisot and Degas. This love of the Impressionists is in part the result of my formal training which was guided by the late Carl Hall, a well respected artist of the Pacific Northwest.

There are many artists I admire. However, I think that I have assimilated their influences in a very eclectic manner. I am very inspired by EVERYTHING. I love to immerse myself in cultures or historical periods and my work at any given period of time reflects this. I think I manage to bring my own interpretations to everything I study.

I am also very influenced by my travels and every trip leaves a distinctive signature on my work. I try to absorb the regional flavors so that I can retrieve the memories when faced with a task which requires an understanding of the cultural diversity which exists in each region of our country and world.

Each piece of furniture or accessory I create is unique. I am very much the perfectionist and pay much attention to detail. The painting on my gifts, accessories and furniture is not decorative, stencilled or done with tricks of the brush. Each piece is painted much the same way I would tackle a traditional painting.

Some of the furniture is built by local craftsmen, and some begin as antiques. Once the piece is prepared, it is either stained or base-coated. Then I apply my imagination. We do not practice mass production, but instead maintain an integrity dictated by my own high standards.

Hopefully, I will be opening my studio again in 2005. Much of my time has been absorbed by my business, Becca's Workshop, which is a classic toy store located on the first floor of the building. But a new studio is under construction and shortly upon completion will be open to the public on an appointment basis. It will feature hand-painted gifts and furniture, but will mostly serve as a working studio.

Currently I am very involved in the remodelling of the building that houses my home and business, and my ultimate goal is to see the project done to my satisfaction, a hard goal as my tastes evolve during the process. But be sure to take the home tour to see work in progress.

Thankyou for visiting,

Becca