Marti Reed
5 Things You Didn’t Know About Marti Reed:
1. A self-taught artist, Marti has been painting for over a decade and while she first started with watercolor, it was her discovery of water-soluble oil that finally clicked.
2. Learned early on that when painting animals, it’s easier to paint from a photograph and start with the eye first.
3. Believes that the eyes reveal everything and says, “if I can capture those eyes, the rest just seems to flow…”
4. Has recently branched out to new subject matter, shifting her focus to portraiture. When working on commissions, she makes sure the client is involved in the entire process. She will send pictures of her progress every day and ask for feedback.
5. Has two large upcoming art shows in September and October, where she will reveal a series of miniature animal paintings.
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Artist Interview:
While the artworks of Marti Reed appear to portray animals in motion, beneath the surface is the pursuit of what is wild and free which she aims to capture. A self-taught artist, Marti has been painting for over a decade and while she first started with watercolor, it was her discovery of water-soluble oil that finally clicked. “It opened a whole new world for me. I decided the best thing for me to do was challenge myself and try new things. I’m having a blast!”
Now, Marti is known for her life-like paintings of animals, and her ability to capture emotion in her subject. She learned early on that, with animals, it’s easier to paint from a photograph and she always starts with the eye first. “If I can capture those eyes, the rest just seems to flow. The hardest piece I ever did, was a gorilla that had been in captivity. The eyes caught me because they were sad and empty, I had to cover them to paint the rest. The eyes say so much and reveal everything.”
More recently, Marti has begun branching out to new subject matter and shifting her focus to portraiture. “People are fascinating because they’re so expressive... can I capture the essence of that person on canvas with just a brush and paint?” When it comes to commissions, Marti makes sure the client is involved throughout the entire process. Every day she works on the painting, she will send pictures and ask for feedback to make sure they are pleased with the final product. In fact, she likes to paint celebrities to showcase her artistic skills and ability to accurately paint her subject.
With two upcoming art shows in September and October, Marti is revving up for exciting new series of work. She plans to continue painting all that is wild and free and embrace her artistic motto: “sharing the beauty of the world, one painting at a time. That’s what I am trying to do.”
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Artist Bio:
Marti is a self-taught, award winning artist who began her art career less than a decade ago. Her oil paintings have encompassed an array of domestic and wild animals, as well as intriguing portraits of both adults and children. She spends most of her free time in her studio pursuing her next artistic adventure. Her passion is to share the beauty and wonder of the world one painting at a time.
Website: https://martireed.art/
