Martha Napier’s vivid watercolours and loose, almost naïve, illustration style are the perfect way to give a life-affirming lift to any project in advertising, editorial, publishing and more. The unique charm of the artist’s hand is there in everything she creates.
Born in the Midwest, Martha grew up in Germany, and today splits her time between Chicago and New York. She loves fashion – that much is clear – and her most admired designers include Miuccia Prada, Marni and Phoebe Philo. Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec, Henri Matisse and Cy Twombly are three artists that inspire her.
Martha has a BA in Studio Art from Wake Forest University, and was a Presidential Scholar at the same college in Fine Art. She has a post grad degree in Fashion Design from Parsons School of Design.
Approach
Watercolours are Martha’s main media, but she also uses markers, pencils and acrylics. She scans the work into Photoshop and uses the application to perfect the colours and clean it up before delivering it to her clients.
Style
Martha is a gestural painter with a fine skill in getting paints to flow from her brush and soak beautifully into the paper, mixing with one another for a unique effect. Her work is vibrant and vivid, full of joy and whimsy.Client list
Martha’s client list includes Neiman Marcus, David Yurman, Barneys New York, The New Yorker, Better Homes and Gardens and Lucky Magazine.