Marti Miller Hubbell Painting the Family Ranching Tradition - Horses in Art Magazine

Marti Miller Hubbell: Painting the Family Ranching Tradition

by Helen Ranta

Poor Man's John Deere – Colored pencil on Canson MI-Tiemtes paper, 21 x 18, by Marti Miller Hubbell. This colored pencil won third place in the Horses In Art 2006 cover contest.
Marti Miller Hubbell did not wander too far from the ranch home where she was raised. Her parents and brother still operate the family ranch in San Benito County in central California that was homesteaded by her great grandfather in 1882. Marti lives nearby on another ranch where she and her husband base a cattle operation.

Marti remarks, "From the time I was born, my life and passion have been ranching, so I’m just painting scenes from my life. I believe my dad gave me my love of nature and the outdoors as I spent many, many days outside on the ranch with him. There is a myriad of ideas and inspiration for paintings out here in central coastal California.

"Creating, drawing, and painting is as natural to me as breathing, and is fundamental to my very being." Marti continues. "Whether it's stained glass, beading, sewing, or drawing, I have to be making something."

Her detailed style, although tedious and time-consuming, is something she has always found intriguing. She taught herself to draw and paint through trial and error, studying other artwork, and using lots of elbow grease.

"When I began drawing, graphite pencils were the perfect instrument to convey the detail I wanted; then I tried colored pencils and a whole new world opened up. It's clean, non-toxic and can produce rich color." Marti also often paints in oil.

Fortunate to have been raised on a cattle ranch, and blessed with artistic ability, Marti reflects, "It enables me to capture and share a glimpse into some of the beautiful sights of this threatened rural lifestyle."

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