Last year was Marta Dorton's first appearance at Francisco's Farm and jurors Arturo Alonzo Sandoval and Ben Withers selected her to receive an Honorable Mention Award. They were both so impressed with her technique and compositions.


Dorton applies acrylic paints onto watercolor paper or canvas with a squeegee, and achieves interesting results due to the texture of the substrate, the layering of the paint and the colors she's chosen.

Dorton likes the shifting of reality within the piece, and the discussion that it inspires in her clients. (At left is 'Waterscape')

In some pieces she plans out her final concept in advance. In others, she follows the lead of the paint to direct her toward what it wants to be. Mostly, however, she paints somewhere in between the parameters of these two approaches.

"I enjoy this range of freedom in the art that I create and the expression that it allows," says Dorton.

"Whether I'm creating a representational or a non-representational piece, I love to see the interplay of color, form, and negative space as the paints are applied to the substrate. It is interesting and exciting to watch the story coming to life in front of me."

A graduate of the UK College of Fine Arts, Dorton still lives in Lexington and has participated in a number of solo and group exhibitions throughout central Kentucky. She is a juried artist with the Bluegrass Printmakers Co-Op, the Kentucky Guild of Artists and Craftsmen, and the Lexington Art League.

Her central Kentucky gallery representation includes the Bluegrass Printmakers Co-Op in Lexington, Damselfly Gallery in Midway, and DeSpain Studio and Gallery in Frankfort.

When she learned about our policy of encouraging artists to bring new or experimental work, Dorton quickly replied, "I've been experimenting with monotypes and would love to bring some with me!"

"The thrill of watching my paintings develop keeps me interested in creating them," Dorton said recently. "As I watch the colors and paper interplay, I know that I am doing what I love."

We look forward to welcoming her back to Francisco's Farm this June, and are excited to see her latest artwork.