About Katon

Marty Katon’s studio is filled with past treasures and present wonders. There is such a feast for the senses; it is not surprising he can create the realistic beauty he does on canvas, having surrounded himself with so many objects of nature and meaning. The most prevalent themes in his studio and in his work are animals and Native American culture, artifacts, and people. There seems to be an elusive ancient wisdom floating about his studio that is just beyond the ability to define. It is exactly like the man himself.

Instinctually connected to his cultural past, the Native American influence in his surroundings and in his work is inescapable. It is not only physically present is his life and work, but his vision, philosophies, and spirituality combine to richly and honestly represent Native American culture and wisdom in his art.

He says: “In my paintings, my own heritage comes together. I come from Scottish craftsmen, English writers, and traders who married Native Americans. Craftsmanship is important in my work and there are stories in my paintings. The animals and people are connected to Mother Earth and Father Sky.”

He is constantly rescuing animals, both domestic and wild. Amidst the Indian artifacts, the current live residents in his studio include the following: an albino hedgehog, a bat with a broken wing, a homicidal hamster, a rat, Madagascar hissing cockroaches, an African millipede, a small boa constrictor, a matching set of tarantulas, a dog named Bear, and visiting raccoons.

Marty had a wild and unusual childhood, and instead of using it as an excuse, he uses it to help children from disadvantaged backgrounds. To hear the stories he tells of life, it is amazing. He gives so much of himself that it is hard to believe he has time to painting religiously seven days a week. He teaches painting to Make-a-Wish and Angel Wings children, YMCA camp children, autistic children, and other children in society who are often forgotten. His teaching skills were acquired from his parents, Fred and Jane, retired teachers.

“I paint with English oils on linen canvas, and I use three primary colors, translucents. I use my hands on the canvas to paint the sky, sometimes with a cloth. I use large bristle brushes. I use knives to make hairs. I use whatever works. Everything is life size because that’s the way they are. I had to invent my own techniques because most of the established techniques use to paint my subjects only work when the subjects are rendered smaller than life size. There are no photos of my animal or Native American faces; the faces come out of the work. Sometimes people come to the studio and tell me I’ve painted someone they know from a reservation, or someone’s long past. I start from the eye and each brush stroke tells me the next, going outward, until the face is done. The colors of the sky come out of the face and the eye. That is the way I work.”

Marty has been painting for almost forty years and earned a B.A. in Fine Arts from Ursuline College in Pepper Pike, Ohio. In addition to being a painter, he has been a lumberjack, a Thai kick boxer, an oil painting instructor, a Mexican cave explorer, a participant in Native American ceremonies, and a professional drummer who toured with many groups such as Strawberry Alarm Clock.

After 35 years of oil paintings, the number of galleries are too numerous to list. They include galleries such as Merrill Chase Galleries of Chicago, Joe Wade Gallery of Santa Fe, and the Toledo Museum of Art. Katon has earned many awards and first place ribbons throughout the years and into the present. Many Native American nations own his paintings as do many Wild Animal Rescue organizations.

Written by Heather L. Hall

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