Martha J. Dodd

Oils on Canvas

Martha Dodd is a fine artist living in the Southwest Florida area. Her work can be found in homes and businesses all over South Florida, and has worked with some of the best interior designers in the business. Her work has been published many times in various magazines such as Florida Design, Naples Illustrated, Gulf Shore Magazine, the N Magazine, and more recently in the Gulf and Main Magazine. Martha spends her summers traveling abroad,  in places such as Europe, Australia, South America and takes the opportunity to study art in museums and points of interest while there.

Growing up:

Originally from Ohio, Martha is the daughter of an artist and a physician. To this day, Martha still finds both sides of her brain battling for superiority, but most days they work well together. As a child, Martha was surrounded by an impressive art library supplied by her mother, including large volumes of works by Leonardo Da Vinci and Michelangelo. Most impressive to her were the enormous murals created by these masters. She loved to draw, and took every art class that was available to her during the school year, and even some summer courses at the College of Wooster, Ohio. An avid horse lover, she attended the Agricultural Technical Institute majoring in Horse Management for a year, then transferred to Ohio State University where she earned her BS in Animal Science in 1983. She originally intended to become a veterinarian, but instead became a physical therapist for race horses, working for the Bill Haughton Stable in New York, New Jersey, Kentucky and Florida for 5 years.

While working at the track, Martha found time to draw the horses around her from life, and it was not long before coworkers and horse owners were commissioning her to do portraits of their horses. She had the benefit of visiting the art museums in New York City, and meeting the fine equine artist, William Orr, who shared some tips on painting with her.

Becoming a full time artist:

In the summer of 1986, Martha decided to pursue art as a career. She found a job working for an art studio in Florida, where she began painting full time. She went on her own 5 years later.

Martha has found inspiration all around her in the Southwest Florida area where she lives. She has discovered that she could not only paint horses, but humans, birds and fish as well. To her delight, Martha found that there was a huge demand for murals. Murals were the mainstay of her work for many years. Nowadays Martha concentrates on painting in her studio. She loves painting wildlife, horses, and portraits. Martha Dodd has studied with noted American artists Douglas Flynt and Stephen Assael.

More about the artist:

Martha J Dodd shares her life with her partner, Marc Lanz. Together, they love to sail and travel internationally.

Martha is an accomplished dressage rider. Dodd co-owns a Lusitano gelding named 007 with Marc Lanz. Martha has earned her USDF Bronze Medal, and has earned half of her scores toward her Silver Medal. She also instructs horseback riding in Fort Myers and Punta Gorda, Florida.

ARTIST STATEMENT: I believe art is important in the home to create a mood. It should reflect the tastes of the art collector, and enhance the surroundings. Art not only has a role of adding interest, but must live in harmony with its surroundings. There are naturally subjects that I gravitate toward. My scientific schooling makes me tend to be very representational as an artist. I love challenges, and I love to have fun with my art as well. It has come to define me as a person. I can’t imagine life without it.

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martha@followyourartllc.com