Marsha Gray Carrington
Marsha cannot remember a time in her life when she was not making something. Whether it
was drawing, painting, making photographs at an early age with her Brownie camera, or just putting together found objects.
Marsha has always known that visual creativity was her calling and passion.
Her mother, Louise H. Carrington, an accomplished
and recognized portrait and life painter, has inspired her since and early age, and continues to paint at the age of 80 every
day in her home in Richmond, VA.
Marsha pursued the arts throughout her education. She graduated with a BFA in Painting
and Graphics, as well as a concentration in Photography, from James Madison University in 1977. In 1981 Marsha graduated from
California Institute of the Arts with an MFA concentrating in Fine Art Photography. While there she was inspired by a children's
book written and illustrated by Chris VanAlsberg, and this was the start of her desire to illustrate children's books.
That desire, although never wavering, was put aside for 13 years while she worked in Visual Effects Animation, working on
films such as Braveheart, James and The Giant Peach, and Ghost, just to name a few.
In the spring
of 1996, after being offered a 3-year contract at Disney to work on Dinosaurs, Marsha decided it was time to make
a major move. She left the film industry completely, lived on her savings for 1 year, traveled to New York City, found an
agent and received her first children's manuscript to illustrate, which was her first book, Jake Johnson. The Story of
A Mule. Since that time Marsha has gone on to illustrate 6 more books, including Tessa's Tip Tapping Toes, Saving
The Liberty Bell, and Coriander The Contrary Hen, and now is working on her first book that she is both writing
and illustrating.
As well as illustrating children's books, from 1998 till 2007, Marsha co-owned the Greeting card
company mjZOOM, of which she along with other artists and designers, created greeting card and stationery products that were
sold nationwide as well as in Canada and the UK. In 2008 Marsha decided to stop manufacturing to concentrate on her creativity
and now makes cards for several large companies, as well as other products that are sold in boutique stores as well as large
retailers.
She continues to pursue her fine art painting as well as photography. Although trained traditionally in
photography using film and printing her own silver prints, Marsha now works mostly with a digital camera and is exploring
the many possibilities there. She prefers black and white photography to color for it's timeless and sensual qualities. For
her, like paint, the camera is just another creative tool, to capture a moment, a feeling, or a conceptual idea.
Originally
from Virginia, Marsha lived in Los Angeles, CA from August 1979 until April 2009. She and her husband Kevin O'Neill, moved
to Portland, Oregon for a short period before moving to Sandusky, OH in October of 2009 to be closer to family. Marsha has
2 stepdaughters, Kaeleen and Meagan, and a granddaughter, Ramona, all who live in Los Angeles. Marsha and Kevin presently
live in a 118 year old Victorian in downtown Sandusky, with lots of history related to the "Underground Railroad".
Marsha's studio is in their home. Seeing Sandusky as a beautiful town rich in history and architecture, she is eager
to watch it's revitalization and be a part of it. She will be participating in the 2nd annual Arts Walk that begins
in May of 2011.
