Marty Henton

Throughout my creative journey I have collected layers of artistic knowledge through adventures and play influenced by sounds, sights, and discoveries.  I become a child viewing the world with fresh eyes as I explore new concepts, materials, and imagery.  These explorations become a visual story for my art that communicates themes around the heart, habitat, and sanctuary, a sense of place in our landscape of expression.

 Encaustics is an artistic processe that takes me on this journey.  Working in wax is magical with its ‘buttery richness’ that when applied in layers suspends and holds color, imagery, paper, line, and pattern in each strata of storytelling.  A journey in the collage process echoes similar opportunities to those of the encaustic medium but with various layers adhered with glue as opposed to wax.  With each of these processes I have engaged in mark making on paper and in wax and discovered that the process of layering never ends as it continues to enrich my life with wonder.

 I’m fascinated with creating books that become a vehicle for writing and image making that integrate collage layers, pockets, inserts foldouts, pop-ups that stretch the imagination in challenging ways and enrich my creative journeys.

 As a retired arts administrator and arts educator for nearly 50 years I continue to grow and learn through workshops, discussions with colleagues, art friends, mentors, and from former students.  Most importantly, the enjoyment I experience with my grandchildren is pure joy.  It is a treasured time for me to share in artmaking with them as they challenge me to keep up with their voracious appetites for making, playing, and exploring their worlds of creativity.