JAMES MARTIN was born in Everett, Washington in 1928. With a BA in creative writing from the University of Washington, Martin has always been interested in narrative. Since 1955 Martin has maintained a well-loved cast of characters whose burlesque escapades have captivated the imaginations of Northwest viewers. William Shakespeare, Andy Warhol, Mona Lisa, Vincent Van Gogh, the Lion, and the Monkey are all frequent players in Martin’s brown paper theater. James Martin populates his artworks with old shoes, submarines, bodacious mermaids — and a sense of melancholy, too. James Martin’s art is like bluegrass music — the upbeat tempo can disguise a forlorn story. In Martin’s signature paintings — which he’s been creating and tinkering with for over three decades — cartoonlike characters, lively colors, swirling paint and quick, quivering lines create an exuberance that is tempered by a subtle sense of degradation and dejection. His first show was at Seligman Gallery in 1958 and presently has an annual show at Foster White Gallery in Seattle,