Biography

Martha Brown is internationally recognized for her award-winning art quilts, signified by her dramatic imagery and eye for colour. Her painterly style leads many to mistake her works as paintings, but upon closer inspection the viewer can appreciate the textures of fabric and thread.

Her Artquilts are known for their often large-scale size, and attention to detail and embellishment. Martha’s work has been purchased by over 200 collectors, in Canada, the US, Switzerland, Japan and Germany.

Honours include
World Quilt: Best of Country and Viewer's Choice, 2007,
National Best of Show and Viewer's Choice, 2006;
  National Best of Show and Viewer's Choice, 2005; 
World Quilt: Second Place Best of World, 2004;

Best Large Wall Quilt (Ontario Juried Show, 2004);
National Award of Excellence (2003); 
Juried Art Show awards, and pieces accepted into several Juried Regional, National and International annual competitions.

Martha ’s work has also been featured in gallery Solo Exhibitions, and for several years at the One of a Kind Christmas Show in Toronto. Her degree in Art, with honours, from East Tennessee State University in 1977, focused on figure drawing and painting.

Born in Rochester, NY, she has lived in several areas of the United States. In 1999 she married a Canadian, and now lives in Pickering, Ontario.  

Ever since I was a child, I have expressed myself through some form of creativity in art or writing. Drawing took me into a world of my own, and the encouragement I received led to further training and explorations.
In several of my college art classes, I found a fascination with depicting the folds and textures of the garments the models were wearing, but it would be 17 years before I discovered fabric as an actual medium for creativity.

I enjoy using fabric and thread to convey an image or a feeling. The tactile nature adds so much to the creative experience. It's a compelling challenge to answer the question "How can I effectively portray this image or feeling?"  Once the question is answered, I have little attachment to a completed piece, as what I'm going to do next quickly becomes much more interesting to me. 
I hope my art brings enjoyment and inspiration to others as I continue along this creative journey.

Resume

(2003 - 2008) Awards:

Publications:

Other art experience:

Juror for the Ontario National Juried Show, 2007

Judge for the Canadian Quilters Association Trend Tex Challenge, 2006

Employed by Scirocco Custom Framing, Toronto, ON, 1998

Home-based picture framer 1990 – 1998

Employed by Jan Goin Gallery, Charleston, South Carolina, 1990

Large indoor mural painting at East Tennessee State University 1976

Large indoor mural painting in children’s classroom, Kingsport, TN. 1972

Exhibitions:

Upcoming in 2010:
Oshawa Fibre Art Show, Centennial Retirement Residence, Oshawa, ON. Featured artist and curator for a group exhibition of original Fibre art. Selected Art dolls and wall quilts. Click here to read about the show. Nov. 20 - Dec. 5th.

2009:
Showcase of the Arts, Juried Show for Scugog Council for the Arts, Port Perry, Ontario.  Selected Art Dolls.
Oshawa Fibre Art Show, Centennial Retirement Residence, Oshawa, ON. Featured artist and curator for a group exhibition of original Fibre art. Selected Art dolls and wall quilts.
IQA "Oh Canada!" travelling exhibit of 144 quilts from Canada touring the US thru November. Selected works: The Zodiac, Forces of Nature, Motherhood III, Tap Dance Finale, and Mandrill.

2008:

Art Quilt Elements 2008, April - May. Ft. Wayne, PA, USA. April - May. Ft. Wayne, PA, USA. "Mandrill" Juried into international art quilt show.
Featured Guest Artist for the Kingston Quilt Guild's show.

Oshawa Fibre Art Show , Featured artist and curator for a group exhibition of original Fibre Art.

2007:

Julia's Ristorante, Oakville. part of a Fibre Art Studios group exhibition

Artworks Oakville Annual Juried Art Show, Oakville, ON. "Tidal Waters II" and "Mandrill"  

Glitz Fibre Art Exhibit, Waterloo, ON. 3 pieces part of group exhibition on embellishments.

World Piece Exhibit, Waterloo, ON, exhibition of 2006 National Juried Show winners

Featured Guest Artist, Oshawa Durham Trillium Guild Show

The Grand National,  National Juried Art Quilt Competition,  Kitchener Waterloo Art Gallery. "Centaur" and "Three Wishes" Juried into show.  

Threadworks, A 3-year touring exhibition of Fibre Art, Wellington County Museum, ON. "Shoes and Chocolate" juried into show.

Uxbridge Celebration of the Arts, "Mauritius Parakeets" juried into show, one of top three for Viewer's Choice.
Oshawa Fibre Art Show, Featured artist and curator for a group exhibition of original Fibre Art.

2006:

Oshawa Fibre Art Show, , (spring) Oshawa, ON. Featured artist and curator for a group exhibition of original Fibre Art.

International Quilters Association Juried Show, Houston, Texas. "The Zodiac"

Greenwood Quilt Gallery, Guelph, ON. Fibre Art Studios Group Exhibition

The One of a Kind Christmas Show, Exhibition Place, Toronto. 

Studio Four, Distillery District, Toronto, ON. Fibre Art Studios Group Exhibition

Canada Uncovered, American Quilters Society Museum, Paducah, KY. USA. "Forces of Nature" one of 32 pieces selected as National Representation.

Oshawa Fibre Art Show, (fall) Oshawa, ON.  Featured artist and curator for a group exhibition of original Fibre Art.  

2005: 

Oshawa Fibre Art Show, , (spring) Oshawa, ON. Featured artist and curator for a group exhibition of original Fibre Art.

Women's Art Association Gallery, Toronto, ON. , a show featuring Martha's work and the Quilt art of Laurie Swim of Lunenburg, Nova Scotia and other artisans from Nova Scotia.

Neilson Park Creative Centre, Etobicoke, ON.   "Wing of an Eagle" and "Motherhood" .

Art Quilt Gallery of the Atlantic, Lunenburg, Nova Scotia. Solo Exhibition, June 22nd - July 11th. 

The Grand National, National Juried Art Quilt Competition, Kitchener/Waterloo Art Gallery, May - June,  "Eagle Wing".  

The Ontario Juried Show, Province-wide Juried Quilt show, "Mandrill".

Greenwood Gallery, Solo Exhibition,  Guelph, Ontario.  

"Red" exhibit at the Greenwood Gallery , Guelph, On.. "Hot Flash".  
Oshawa Fibre Art Show, (fall) Oshawa, ON.  Featured artist and curator for a group exhibition of original Fibre Art.
 

2004:

Tactile Architecture, International Art Quilt Competition, Houston, Texas.  On tour through 2005. “Forces of Nature” one of 24 accepted for exhibit.

Colour and Form Society bi-annual Juried Art Show, Toronto, ON. “Raindrop on Grass.”

Threadworks 2004, International fibre art juried show, Fergus, Ontario .“Rose Petals” and “Got Milkweed?” part of three year traveling exhibition until 2007. 

2003:

Art and Soul Gallery, Solo Exhibition, Ajax, Ontario, one of the artists featured for several yrs. in the gallery.

The Quilt Gallery, Solo Exhibition, St. Jacobs, Ontario 

The Bluff’s Gallery Juried Show Waterworks Exhibit, Ontario. “Night Tides” and “Tap Dance Finale”

World Quilt Show, International juried show, on tour for several months. "Alberta Grasslands"

The Station Gallery Juried Art Show, Waterworks Exhibit, Whitby, ON. “Lakeshore Sunrise”

Art and Soul Gallery, Waterworks Exhibit, Ajax, ON. “Sunset Bay” and “Waterdance” 

The Grand National, National Juried Show, Kitchener Waterloo Art Gallery. “Alberta Grasslands”

The Ontario Juried Show, University of Waterloo Art Gallery. “Rose Petals"

The One of a Kind Christmas Show, Exhibition Place, Toronto.

2001 - 2002 :

Canadian Quilters Association National Juried Quilt Show, Edmonton, Alberta.  “Fire Lily”. Ontario Juried Quilt Show,  Kitchener/Waterloo Art Gallery, Ontario.  “Moonflower”.  

American Quilters Society International Juried Show, Paducah, Kentucky, USA. “Tiamat”. One of five entries accepted from Canada.  

Greenwood Juried Art Show, Pickering Museum, Ontario

The One of a Kind Christmas Show, Exhibition Place, Toronto. 2001 and 2002.

Previous:

Public Library Gallery, Solo Exhibition, Kingsport, Tennessee, USA of original watercolour abstracts. 1976.

Other Sales

The Art Cafe, Laurentians, Quebec, 2003, 2004

The One of a Kind Christmas Show, Toronto, ON, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2006  

Formal Education:

Graduated with honours from East Tennessee State University, 1977 with a major in Art and certified to teach at all pre-college levels. Area of concentration: Figure Drawing.  

Other interests:

Painting, golf, Feng Shui, gardening and landscaping, astrology, website design, Heavy Metal, and dogs.

Commissions:

2008:

Pirate Ship for Tom Bishop, Cary, North Carolina

2007:

Motherhood IV for THE QUILT (a breast cancer support project) auction 2008

2005

Seascape Window for Tom Watanabe, Japan

2004

Motherhood II for Angela DiLorenzo, Toronto, ON.

Abstract for Mary Kelly, Georgetown, ON.

Colourwash Triptych for Grit and Judith Laskin, Toronto, ON.

Sunprint Autumn for Tania Auer, Toronto, ON.

Memberships:

Canadian Quilters Association

American Quilters Society

International Quilters Association

Durham Trillium Quilt Guild, Honorary Lifetime Member

Studio Art Quilt Associates, Inc., Professional Member