BIOGRAPHY
Marshall was born & raised in Omaha, Nebraska. She earned her BFA from Colorado State University in 1973. Marshall relocated to San Francisco in the autumn of 1977, and soon became immersed in the Bay Area’s figurative tradition. She has been creating art for over 40 years. In December 2017, Marshall moved her studio and home to Alameda, California.
Marshall is a studio painter working primarily in oil on canvas. The monotype, a painterly printmaking technique, is another area of exploration. She began experimenting with watercolor in 2008 as an Artist-in-Residence at Foundation Obras in Portugal. Marshall Crossman is represented by several art galleries in the US. Her work can be found in private & public collections here and in Europe..
1981 2014
ARTIST STATEMENT
After painting for over 40 years, I am still fascinated by the alchemy & expression of paint. Primarily I am a studio painter working in oil on canvas. Oil paint is a very elastic medium with rich color, which will stay wet for several days. I like to work “wet into wet,” using brushes and pieces of cardboard to move the paint. I am constantly exploring the canvas’s surface. My active painting process allows for a lot of spontaneity in paint handling, color and composition. I begin a painting with a basic concept, and color palette. I then wander through many stages of paint application and destruction before arriving at a finish that feels resolved.
When I relocated to San Francisco in 1977, I was influenced by the Bay Area figurative painters. I paint the figure abstracted by motion, water and emotion. I work in a series, often working on several paintings from different series at the same time. My paintings evolve from the fluid stream of my conscious & subconscious mind. The viewer is free to enjoy the painting’s imagery, color, & surface texture or go deeper and discover an emotional response.
PAINTING FLUX 21
In this 4-day timelapse video, compressed to 2.5 minutes, Marshall Crossman creates a 48″ by 48″ painting called Flux 21.