Edmonds Beacon - Your Hometown News Source

Northwest painter James Edward Martin passed away on Dec. 15, 2020. Born in Everett in 1928, Jim was raised in Seattle.

Jim's pursuit of art was encouraged by Ballard High School art teacher Orre Nobles, who implored Jim's parents to keep him enrolled. After studying at the UW, Jim's paintings won the attention of gallery owner Otto Seligman, who presented Jim's work alongside Graves, Tobey, and Anderson.

Jim's work eventually transcended the muted parameters of the Northwest Mystics, blossoming into his signature, raucous style. For the last 60 years Jim reveled in the absurdities of lif...