Martin Poole | Figurative painter

Martin Poole originally went to the State University of New York, Buffalo, where he majored in Fine Arts, studying printmaking.

He met the late Thomas S. Buechner through fellow artist, Tom Gardner in 1980. Poole continued to hone his emotive style under the tutelage of Buechner who stated that during his time with Poole, "A small group of people who like to paint met on Sunday mornings in nice weather to do landscapes together.

About a year later, when my studio was finished, we added a Friday night session with a model, and painted still life subjects on Sundays when weather was bad.

Marty and I have painted together almost every week through all these years.

He has become the most stimulating presence in my life as a Corning painter, and a friend whom I enjoy immensely".

Poole, himself, went on to teach numerous classes and workshops in both his hometown of Corning, NY and around the world.

His work has been in group and solo exhibitions and in numerous private, corporate and public collections.

While Poole exhibits in other galleries across the country, West End Gallery remains Poole’s home gallery and retains the most extensive collection of his paintings.

Poole shares his thoughts in one of his most recent artist statements, "Life is a gift, and painting is one of the ways we realize what we are given. I paint because it helps me pay attention to our world, our lives in it and our lives together. Our lives are complex. We have chaos and loss - all kinds of darkness, but with these shadows always there is some kind of light. We build with that".

Notable Awards and Honors:

• Ted Van Brunt Award, Arnot Art Museum Regional Exhibition, 1987;
• Corning Community College - official portrait painter of President, Dr. Donald Hangen;
• Princeton Day School - official portrait of Headmaster, Dr. Duncan Alling.