Marti Jones Dixon: People and Motion

Marti Jones Dixon grew up in Ohio knowing that visual art would always be a predominant source of joy and pain. Eager to learn more, she attended and graduated from Kent State with a degree in Studio Art. Longing to paint, she began to feel the pain of being pulled in two directions when a career in music fell into her lap. As “Marti Jones” from 1984 to 1991, she was signed to A&M, then RCA Records. The sporadic release of subsequent independent label records kept Marti semi-afloat. As she grew weary of the business that had nothing to do with music, she felt the door of opportunity creak open for painting. She now resides and has a painting studio in Canton, Ohio.

ARTIST STATEMENT: “I love to paint people doing things. I try to convey their movement from the canvas. I want the figure to give a clue as to what happened before and after that frozen moment. A simple endeavor has the potential to tell a story. There is always a story.

I’ve done series of paintings that I’ve painted from films. Hitchcock Cameos included paintings of scenes from the movies in which he makes his casual appearances. Grey Gardens, by the Maysle brothers, is filled with the beautiful and lyrical presence of Edie Beale. She is a constant and never-tiring subject for me. Nashville, by Robert Altman, has a cast of colorful characters, rich in expressive movement. Valley of the Dolls (Mark Robson) conveys the 60’s in living color. All of these have been themes for groups of my paintings.

I’ve included a variety of paintings for this particular gathering. Some are old and some are new. There are a number of references for these works—friends, films, family, drinkers, diners, and dancers.”