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Martha Nessler Hayden

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Photo of Martha Hayden, published by Beloit Daily News, September 04, 2013 at 3:00 pm== Martha N. Hayden -- Artist. ==

For more than 60 years, Martha N. Hayden has been working in and out of her studio in Sharon, Wisconsin. She produces art in many mediums, including oil, acrylic, water color, gouache, lithography, fabric, ceramics and enameling. She has brought joy to thousands of people who have purchased her work, and hundreds of people who have participated in her art classes and workshops. Over the years, she has also maintained studios in New York City in Astoria (1995 - 2001) and on the Lower East Side (2001 - 2017) and she has participated in numerous Artist Residencies.


Martha Hayden at Work --May 2019

Martha N. Hayden grew up in Evanston, IL and attended Evanston High School, which she graduated from in 1953. Martha took every art class available in high school (cite Interview 6/07/2019). They included every craft plus drawing, painting, and sculpture. She attended Bradley University for 2 years majoring in the Ceramic Arts before transferring to the Art Institute of Chicago where she majored in to Drawing-Painting-Illustration (DPI), and received her BFA degree in 1961. She chose the Art Institute of Chicago on the recommendation of her ceramics professor at Bradley University (cite Interview 6/07/19). Martha took a portfolio of art work directly to The Art Institute and applied as a transfer student. (cite Interview 6/07/19) At the Art Institute, she studied with Paul Wieghardt and Isabol MacKinnon. While attending the Art Institute of Chicago, she also attended the University of Chicago-Downtown Campus (1955-1961) where she took academic courses. Martha felt painting was more exciting than ceramics which tends to follow trends, and she saw that painting and drawing are skills that can be learned. She had previously believed that art is an innate skill that one is born with, but at The Art Institute of Chicago she saw that art is actually multiple skills that are learned. She learned that while listening to the other students discuss painting and drawing. (cite interview 6/07/19) During her time at The Art Institute she learned that she had an aptitude for seeing space and for composing compositions (cite Interview 6/07/2019).

Following graduation from the School of the Art Institute of Chicago, she used a Byron Lathrop foreign traveling fellowship to study at Schule des Sehens in Salzburg, Austria, with Oskar Kokoschka in 1962.[1] AskArt.com - Martha Nessler Hayden[2] She continued to travel and paint in Europe immediately following her studies with Kokoschka. She has traveled to Mexico to paint on multiple occasions. During these trips, she has spent time in San Miguel de Allende, the Yucatan peninsula and Morelia located in the mountains near Morelia[3] During the 1990s and 2000s, she has participated in Art Residencies throughout the US and Europe.


Early Career

Martha Hayden had works in the Chicago and Vicinity show held annually at the Art Institute of Chicago, twice while she was a student at The Art Institute of Chicago. During the 1960s and 1970s, Martha was a regular exhibitor at The Art Institute of Chicago where her works were part of the Art Rental program there. The was also a regular participant in the Chicago and Milwaukee Art Scenes. Her works were in Collector’s Showroom in Chicago and in Bradley Galleries in Milwaukee. During the summers, she could be found at the Chicago Area Art Fairs including: 57th Street, Old Town, Gold Coast, Glenview, Orchard Park, and Evanston; and the Milwaukee fairs including the Lake Front Festival. Her works in oil and acrylic were often large and stood out at these fairs because of their size and because of their use of color and composition.

While still a student, Martha created a series of large oil paintings that told the story of Icarus flying to close to the sun. That series of works earned her the fellowship to study in Europe following graduation (cite interview 06/07/19).

During the 1960s, she painted large, in part, because she believed that all serious artists painted large. Many of the large paintings were painted on masonite and were done while she was using her fellowship to work in Spain. They were painted on masonite because canvas was unavailable there. For paintings that were painted outside, these paintings are large, about 4 by 6 feet. She was living in a village in Almunecar, Spain, and she s painted landscape views from there by setting up an easel on the roof of her building (cite interview 06/07/19). While on that same Fellowship, Martha studied with Oscar Kokoschka. At Kokoschka’s school, she changed some of her methods of working. Prior to studying with Kokoschka, her paintings had a lot of drawing in them done with black lines identifying planes and movement. Oscar Kokoschka encouraged Martha to let color abut other colors without the lines. He stressed seeing things in the moment. He emphasized capturing those moments of time that are transient.


During the 1960s, after settling in Sharon, WI, Martha painted several still life paintings that were done in dark tones. She also did some painting with an anti-war theme. The Vietnam war was something that was inescapable and always on our minds. She created an anti-war painting that is titled “Last Judgement” that is an adipic painting. It has soldiers on one side and on the other side there are angels as superman type figures along with dead soldiers. That is one of her earliest works done using acrylic paint, which was a brand new medium. The painting is mentioned in an article published in the Milwaukee Journal (cite interview 06/07/19). “The Bearers” is another large painting that was done around 1966. This painting was done in oil and portrays members of the Montegard Tribe who were US allies during the Vietnam War. They became refugees. The painting hung in the Wright Center in Beloit, WI for several years (cite interview 06/07/19).


A memorable series created during the 1970s is the "Super Fruits" These still lives featured individual pieces of fruit in ways that they are not usually viewed. Most of these works are 50 inches or more wide. All of the Super Fruit compositions were complex, but what viewers typically commented on were the amazing variety of colors that Martha found and expressed in these works. The Super Fruits were painted with acrylic paints which were still viewed as something new in the 1970s. There are at least 20 fruits in this series, and they all sold. There are also a few super vegetables, like broccoli and red cabbage. Martha also made some serigraphs that are part of this series. One of the serigraphs is of a large apple. The other is a serigraph of a pear and a white bowl with more fruits. (cite interview 07/06/19) In the super fruit series, Martha used the acrylic paints and associated acrylic mediums and varnishes to create washes of bright color that were layered to produce more colors.

Another series is the "Dot Paintings." The Dot Paintings were done in 1969 and 1970. Martha saw a reflective construction sign for the first time around then. She stopped to look at them and intrigued by the reflective paint. Some were painted with just reflective paint and some had glass beads embedded in the paint. She decided to explore the use of glass beads and used an air brush to apply the paint and beads together. The dots are created by spraying the paint through screens. Martha purchased the screens from a hardware store that was going out of business. The moon paintings in this series were created during the Apollo trips that came prior to the moon landing. There was live TV coverage of the Apollo voyages and a lot of the images sent by space computers were new – never seen before-images. Those dot images from the Apollo voyages were the inspiration for the Dot Paintings. Some of the Dot Paintings are currently on display in the Saint Louis Gallery Event Space (cite interview on 07/06/19).


Another series of works created during the 1970s is the "Bags and Eggs" series. This series of large extremely detailed still lives were a deeper exploration of composition that were at the time shocking to see, because they did not have the many bright colors of the super fruits. The color palette was limited to various tans and browns. These paintings are all painted in oil because Martha was painting in a manner that required rendering. She was looking for something to paint that would give her a challenge and had repeating shapes. She chose the egg cartons made of pressed grey paper—the ones with eggs in four rows. When those cartons are opened, there are lots of spaces that recede and there are also ones that protrude toward you. She then tried adding just one or two eggs to the cartons. Then she explored the addition of brown paper bags to the compositions. The works were shown at the Gradley Gallery in Milwaukee(cite interview on 07/06/19). Most of these paintings are sold (cite interview on 07/06/19). The "Bags and Eggs" still lives contained simple, often rustic items and usually contained at least one brown paper bag. This series is characterized by the limited color palette, the recognizable items in the composition and the high degree of realism. James Auer, Milwaukee Journal Art Editor, in his review of her exhibit at Bradley Galleries in Milwaukee, described her as the "Philip Pearlstein of kraft paper, achieving a remarkable plasticity and sensuality with the simplest of subject matter"[4]


One of the oil paintings that Martha created soon after the Bags and Eggs series is of bosc pears in a rustic setting. This painting was purchased by the Nebraska State Art Collection and can be seen on this site. Bosc pears by Martha Hayden - Art Collection of Nebraska State [5]


Another significant series of works done during the 1970s are Mexican landscapes. These were painted outside, on location, in rural Mexico during the winters of 1970-71 and 1971-72. These paintings stand out from other landscapes done by Martha because the Mexican sky is typically a stronger shade of blue than that seen in Wisconsin, and the vegetation was also much different. Often landscapes have a tranquil vibe. These landscapes have a vibrant energetic vibe. Donald Key, Art Critic for the Milwaukee Sentinel, described these works as "Profuse in color and immediately responsive to atmospheres and objects.[6]" He goes on to say, "She senses scenic character visually and emotionally. And she paints it quickly and honestly."

During the 1970s, Martha painted several acrylic landscapes. A memorable one was painted while standing in a pasture at a creek located west of Sharon, Wisconsin. That painting included a barn silo and cows along with their reflections in the creek. Martha taught local landscape painting classes where she took students to various sites in eastern Rock County and Western Walworth County. She would typically teach the class during the morning and paint her own painting in the afternoon. The locations included Turtle Creek, Lee Park, an the old bridge on highway 140 near Clinton, WI and numerous locations around Lake Geneva including the campuses of the Northwest Military Academy and George Williams College (cite interview on 07/06/19. )

Mid Career

During the 1980s, Martha Hayden painted the world that surrounded her in rural Wisconsin. She did paintings of farm implements including tractors, combines, and plows. There are two large paintings of an International Harvester 1856 tractor. There is also a painting of the International Harvester 450 tractor. She also painted numerous landscapes of the scenic farm land and lakes in Wisconsin's Walworth and Rock Counties. The landscapes were all painted on location. Most were done in acrylic (cite interview 07/06/19).

A major work was created during a two year period ending in 1985. It is her largest work. It is a Mural portraying the history of Beloit, Wisconsin. It is installed on the walls of Beloit City Hall. The City of Beloit commissioned this work from Martha Hayden in 1983. [7][8] There was a competition to select the artist. Martha submitted a proposal was to paint a mural that portrays significant moments in Beloit history and another that includes all the memorable locations in modern Beloit (cite interview 07/06/19). The historical mural begins with scenes from time the area was first settled by settlers from Vermont in the 1830s, continuing with the migration of African Americans northward from Mississippi beginning in 1917 when Beloit was emerging as a major center of manufacturing.[9] Along a second hallway is the portion of the mural that provides a panoramic view of Beloit, Wisconsin in the 1980s. It includes views of the Beloit Riverfront, College, historic buildings, parks, and golf course. The city of Beloit wanted murals painted on 2 walls of the court house that celebrate Beloit and wanted them to be finished by the festivities celebrating the 150th anniversary of the founding of Beloit. Martha worked with researchers from the Beloit Historical Society and learned a lot of local history while working on this project. The mural is 6 feet high and 92 feet long, and it is the largest landscape painting in Wisconsin[3]. This mural is located in the Beloit City Hall. It was completed in 1985 (cite Interview 07/06/19).

Two of her most unusual works were on display at the U.S Smithsonian Museum in 1988. They are two wooden eggs on which scenes of the Wisconsin farmland and Wisconsin lakes are painted. Martha Hayden was one of 200 American Artists chosen to paint these special eggs which were also on view during the White House Easter Egg Roll.[10]

During the Persian War, Martha painted some works influenced by current events. Some of those are described by Carole Burke, Corespondent to the Janesville Gazette as "Stark and meant to disturb." She quotes Martha as saying "Its not good to get too comfortable -- that's not art" and "I didn't set out to do a war protest. I thought I was done with those in the '60's."[7] Carole Burke describes the painting, The Negotiating Table, has having "The only hints of color ar the red and blue of an American Flag draped in the top corner, overlooking dark outlined figures dancing around a solid gold table."[7]

The Naperville Art League chose Martha Hayden's painting of a giant flower for Best of Show Award at the Riverwalk Art Festival.[11][12]

Jame Auer, Art Critic for the Milwaukee Sentinel, wrote in an article for the paper, published on June 28, 1992, that Martha Hayden was one of two artists that occupy the "upper tier" for quality at the Milwaukee Lake View Festival of Art[13].

Later Career

From 1994 through 2017, Martha Hayden maintained a presence in both New York and Wisconsin. Her first New York City studio was in the Astoria neighborhood of Queens. Her paintings from that location include panoramic views of western Queens featuring Hoyt Avenue, the Triborough Bridges and the East River. In 1994, Martha began painting, and living for part of the year, in Astoria Queens. For the next 20 years she returned to New York City to paint during the winter months. She rented a studio workspace in the East Village for most of those years. Later she rented a studio on the Lower East Side of Manhattan. She painted both landscapes featuring views of the Manhattan and Williamsburg Bridges and a local fire station.  A still-life series, “Near and Far’ combined window still-lives with urban landscape.

In 2001, she was included in the the Peltz Gallery Exhibition: "11 Annual Remarkable Women Show."[14] held in Milwaukee, WI. An Exhibition of paintings completed in New York was featured at the Museum of Wisconsin (MOWA), West Bend. Museum of Wisconsin(MOWA). https://wisconsinart.org/archives/artist/martha-n-hayden/exhibitions-4591.aspx[15]

She worked on a series of “Allegories,” large paintings that combine still lives, self portraits and “quotes” from art history to make paintings about art, painting, work, grief and expulsion. She had one woman exhibitions at Reggio Gallery, The Interchurch Center and La Guardia Colllege in New York City.

During the 2000s, Martha Hayden traveled to many parts of the world and produced landscape paintings every place she traveled, including the Alfred and Trafford Klots Residency, sponsored by the Maryland College of Art, Institute of Design, in Rochefort en Terre, France, April-May, 2004, May 2006. She has also had residencies in Vermont, Connecticut, New Mexico and Lithuania. During this period, she has traveled and painted in the Adirondacks in New York, Maryland, Florida, Alaska, Missouri, and Mexico (cite interview 07/06/19)

Sampling of articles published about Martha Hayden:

  • Paint Annapolis Spotlight: Martha Hayden, 2017 [16]
  • Martha Hayden exhibit opens Friday at BFAI, by Debra Jensen-De Hart Beloit Daily News, September 04, 2013 [17]
  • Art in New York City, January 5, 2011 [18]
  • Still Life in Oils: An Insight Into the Artist's Creative Process -- Seeing, Thinking, Acting, By Theodora Philcox, AVA Publishing, Crans,pres-Celigny, Switzerland,[19]
  • The Art of Martha Hayden, by Linda Godfrey, At the Lake, Winter, 2001[19]
  • Emerging Women Artists, By Janice Williams , Newbury Street and Back Bay Guide, February 2, 1999[19]
  • Artist Draws on Her Unique Journey, by James Auer, The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, February 4, 1998[19]
  • Hayden Paints Egg for D.C. Roll, by Debra Jensen, The Janesville Gazzette, April 3, 1998[10]
  • New York A Second Home for State Painter, By James Auer, The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, May 11, 1997[19]
  • Women's Show proves a strong one, by James Auer, The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, May 24, 1992[20]
  • Artist: Don't Get Too Comfortable, by Carole Burke, The Janesville Gazette, November 12, 1991[7]
  • Art League Announces Riverwalk Fair Winners, The Naperville Sun, September 28, 1990[12]
  • Naperville League Announces Riverwalk Art Fair Winners, Daily Herald, September 27, 1990[11]
  • Sharon Artist Blends Aptitude With Talent, by Louann Schoenburg, Janesville Gazette, April 20, 1989[8]
  • "Artist Finds Beauty in Beloit," Enking, Minnie Mills, Beloit Daily News, March 30, 1985. Page 83.
  • Harvard University Fine Arts Library Tumbler site: [21]
  • What you Won't be Reading on Your Kindle, Part 2 [22]
  • Martha Hayden - Central Booking [23]
  • Artavita - Martha Hayden[24]
  • Portal Wisconsin - Martha Hayden[25]
  • Art in Brooklyn - Allegories by Martha Hayden 2011[26]
  • Racine Art Museum - Martha Hayden[27]
  • See Fall Color at Art Exhibit -- Sharon Reporter, October 1991[28]
  • "Bright Mexican Scenes Make Exhibit Glisten" by Donald Key, The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, ca 1970[6]
  • Lively Oils, Sculpture Combined in Duo Show" by Donald Key, The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, ca 1965[1]
  • "Brown Paper Bags are Her Bag," By James Auer, The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, ca 1972 [4]

Martha Hayden is included in the following books:

  • Wisconsin Painters & Sculptors / Wisconsin Artists in All Media Centennial Exhibition, West Bend Art Museum, West Bend, WI 2000.
  • Art in Wisconsin, Wisconsin Painters & Sculptors / Artists in All Media, Madison, WI 2005
  • For the Birds: Artists Examine Aviary Abodes, Wustum Museum Racine, WI 1990

Her works can be viewed on line at:

Seaside Gallery https://seasideart.com/collections/martha-hayden Ask Art.com http://www.askart.com/artist/Martha_Nessler_Hayden/11008242/Martha_Nessler_Hayden.aspx

Portal Wisconsin, https://artavita.com/artists/559

Racine Art Musuem, https://www.ramart.org/content/martha-hayden-salesrental

Absolute Arts

References


  1. ^ a b Key, Donald (c. 1965). "Lively Oils, Sculpture Combined in Duo Show". The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel.
  2. ^ "Martha Nessler Hayden". {{cite web}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter: |dead-url= (help)
  3. ^ a b Hayden, Martha. "Martha Hayden Bio". Martha Hayden. Retrieved May 19, 2019. {{cite web}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter: |dead-url= (help)
  4. ^ a b Auer, James (1972). "Brown Paper Bags Are Her Bag". The Milwaukee Sentinel.
  5. ^ "Bosc Pears by Martha Hayden". Nebraska State Art Archive.
  6. ^ a b Key, Donald (c. 1970). "Bright Mexican Scenes Make Exhibit Glisten". The Milwaukee Sentinel.
  7. ^ a b c d Burke, Carol (November 12, 1991). "Artist: Don't Get Too Comfortable". Local/Area. Janesville Gazette. Janesville, WI. pp. 1B & 3B.
  8. ^ a b Schoenberg, Louann (April 20, 1989). "Sharon Artist Blends Aptitude With Talent". Janesville Gazette. p. 1C.
  9. ^ "Fairbanks Flats". {{cite web}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter: |dead-url= (help)
  10. ^ a b Jensen, Debra (April 3, 1988). "Hayden Paints Egg for D.C. Roll". The Sunday Gazette. Janesville, WI: The Janesville Gazzette. p. 9B.
  11. ^ a b "Naperville League Announces Riverwalk Art Fair Winners". Naperville. Daily Herald. Suburban Chicago. September 27, 1990. p. 5.
  12. ^ a b "Art League Announces Riverwalk Fair Winners". The Naperville Sun. September 28, 1990. p. 5.
  13. ^ Auer, James (June 28, 1992). "Festival of Arts needed a bit of Quality Control". Milwaukee Sentinel. p. E8.
  14. ^ "11th Annual Remarkable Women Show". Museum of Wisconsin Art. {{cite web}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter: |dead-url= (help)
  15. ^ "Martha N. Hayden/Exhibitions". {{cite web}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter: |dead-url= (help)
  16. ^ "Paint Annapolis Spotlight: Martha Hayden". Maryland Federation of Art.
  17. ^ Jensen-De Hart, Debra (9/04/2013). "Martha Hayden exhibit opens Friday at BFAI". Beloit Daily News. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  18. ^ "http://www.artinnewyorkcity.com/2011/01/05/martha-hayden/". Art in New York City. Retrieved 12/29/2019. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |accessdate= (help); External link in |title= (help)
  19. ^ a b c d e "Martha Hayden". {{cite web}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter: |dead-url= (help)
  20. ^ Auer, James (May 24, 1992). "Women's show proves a strong one". The Milwaukee Sentinel. p. E6.
  21. ^ "Morning Noon and Night". Fine Arts Library. {{cite web}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter: |dead-url= (help)
  22. ^ "What You Won't be Reading on Your Kindle Part 2". British Museum Library - American Collections Blog. July 30, 2010. {{cite web}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter: |dead-url= (help)
  23. ^ "Martha Hayden". {{cite web}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter: |dead-url= (help)
  24. ^ "Martha Hayden @Artavita". {{cite web}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter: |dead-url= (help)
  25. ^ "Martha Hayden". {{cite web}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter: |dead-url= (help)
  26. ^ "Martha Hayden". January 5, 2011. {{cite web}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter: |dead-url= (help)
  27. ^ "Martha Hayden". {{cite web}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter: |dead-url= (help)
  28. ^ Jackson, Mabel (October 1991). "See Fall Color at Art Exhibit". Sharon Reporter.

Category:Female Artist Category:Art Institute of Chicago Category:Wisconsin Artist

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