ABOUT MARTHA LAVERTY
	Martha Laverty was born in Westmount, Canada.  Her Italian and Irish roots strongly influence her approach to art.  She has a B.A., Dip. Ed., and M.L.I.S. from McGill University. As a primary school teacher Martha was a great success with children and parents, but a maverick in the view of the administration, which led to an early search for an alternative career. Martha began transparent watercolour painting with Helmut Gerth, AWS, and soon found her own direction and subjects.  Further development of her skills came from working in the field and by formal courses at The Visual Arts Centre in Westmount. She became informally and closely acquainted with a group of artists in the Adirondack Mountains of New York State.  On many occasions, including the frequent artists' gatherings,  painters Tim Fortune and Nina Holland gave Martha much help and encouragement. Throughout Martha's life her interest in warmer climates has led to many visits to the southern U.S., the Caribbean and West Indies, and of course her mother's home country, Italy.  The dominant themes in her work arise from these experiences.  To satisfy her strong interest in tropical subjects, she has intimately explored  Balenbouche Estate, a Heritage Trust Property in St.Lucia, West Indies.  The generous proprietor, Uta Lawaetz, assisted with Martha's efforts to learn about and adapt to the local culture, and was the first person to buy her paintings. Opportunities to sell her paintings were infrequent until Oli Wallace, a St. Lucian artist and gallerist, discovered Martha's work.  Thus Martha began her relationship with the printer Caribbean Giclée, and with the galleries in Soufrière and Castries, St. Lucia.  This is still her main marketing location, as well as Balenbouche Estate.  Recently Martha started printing some work also at Canada Fine Art, Port Hope, Ontario. Martha continues to work primarily in the field and to occasionally take a course or workshop (e.g. Cheng-Khee Chee, AWS )  to improve her painting and make new discoveries. Participation in Juried Shows: March, 2004:  May, 2004:      October, 2005:  Adirondack Guild, Saranac Lake Ottawa Watercolour Society Lake Placid Center for the Arts
	http://marthalaverty.com martha@marthalaverty.com