BIOGRAPHY - Thomas Martin (Born 1951)

My family moved to an isolated area when I was a boy and I began drawing to pass the time. My parents took notice and enrolled me in lessons at the local YMCA with Caroline Williams. I received formal training in basic shapes/color and composition. My next teacher, Alice Welsh Jenkins became my mentor. She provided instruction in pastels, watercolors and oils. Alice encouraged me to apply to art schools but I was not ready for any commitment at that time. Instead, I earned a BA in English, followed by a multitude of jobs and then I found my calling in human services at United Cerebral Palsy.  I returned to college and earned a BS in Occupational Therapy. I married, (just celebrated our 25th anniversary) raised two children and worked as a licensed occupational therapist at Danville State hospital for 25 years and retired in June 2011. 

I saw an exhibition of the True Form Studio at Main Street Galleries and was amazed at the level of talent and precision in the art. I enrolled in the studio. Master teacher Joel Carson Jones challenges my seeing and expands my technique to a level of refinement that I once believed was beyond my capabilities.