Marta Crawford was born in Madrid, Spain in 1971 where she studied Journalism, Art History and Mass Media Communications. It was not long after, that she traveled to The United States to expand her knowledge and in the process, while in the USA, childhood passion finally won and she became a full time artist in the early 2000's. She studied constantly, embarking on a journey of self-discovery focusing on the Portrait and Still-Life genre. Her expressive style is used to convey a bold and energetic realism. Marta's dramatic use of color, rooted in her European and Mediterranean heritage, has an intense impact on the viewer. She primarily considers herself a portrait painter, "not because portraits are all I paint, but because everything I paint is a portrait. I find beauty in simplicity, weather a peaceful beach, or a standing tree, as much as a particular person. It is the essence of people, places and things that interests me the most. I like to create extraordinary paintings out of ordinary objects. I want to show Hope and Grace amidst the chaos that surrounds us all".
Her work has been recently included in the books: The Best of Worldwide Oil II and International Contemporary Artists IV, Strokes of Genius 9: Creative Discoveries and Art Renewal Catalogue. She has received an Honorable Mention from the prestigious Art Renewal Centre. She was a finalist in the Flowers and Gardens competition in the International Artist magazine, where she was featured with an 8th page article in the Oct/Nov Issue 2015, as well as the recipient of an Honorable Mention form the Portrait Society of America Still Life Category, 8th Place Non-Commission Portrait Category of The Portrait Society of America, following a publication in the Master's Showcase Section in the International Artist April/May 2016 issue and an Honorable Mention from The Jerry's Artarama Self Portrait competition 2014. She has exhibited in many large Fine Art Fairs where she has won many awards, several Best in Shows, in The Museum of Modern Art in Barcelona, Spain, in the TV spot for Fine Art Productions, a Solo exhibit in The New Smyrna Beach Museum of History, 2006 and The Mount Dora Center for the Arts in 2009. Her work is in the permanent collection of the Museum of Arts and Sciences in Florida as well as private collections throughout the USA, and internationally. Sharing what she learns is also a passion of hers and thus, she has taught numerous workshops and teaches 1 weekly class at her private studio in Deland.
