Southwest Originals Nature Originals Retrospective Giclee Prints Contact the Artist About the Artist Exhibit Schedule
For over forty years, Marilyn Salomon has been creating batiks on silk which are known for their astonishing, intricate detail. Her passion for this illusive and challenging medium has only increased over time.

Marilyn's keen interest in western life began as a child upon receiving a pair of red cowboy boots. Listening to Native American and Country-Western Music was a favorite pastime as well as family explorations of museums and travels to the Southwest. She sought books on the ceremonies, traditions and art of these peoples. It was with the lives of working cowboys and Native Americans that Marilyn intuitively felt connected and thirsty to learn more. With pencil and paints in hand she eagerly brought to life, her feelings and emotions from these experiences. Marilyn realized early on that one day, she would become a professional artist.


In 1965, Marilyn earned her B.A. from the University of California, Los Angeles. Subsequent, graduate studies were done at the California State University, Northridge. In 1970 she traveled to Israel where she studied with Miriam Ariav, a master batik painter and teacher. Although Marilyn thrived on creating art in many different media, it was this mesmerizing experience in learning this technique that would be her life's calling. Marilyn was captivated as she continued studying this art form in the United States with well known batik painters like Betsy Benjamin Sterling, professor of art from Massachusetts Art Institute. In this medium, she has continued in her desire to exeriment, explore and find the freedom to express her artistic voice fully.

In 2011, Marilyn was elected to the Western Artists of America. She was part of this prestigious group of artists' exhibit at the Pearce Museum in Corsicana Texas in March, 2012. Recently, Marilyn had a solo exhibit and lectured at the National Cowgirl Museum and Hall of Fame in Fort Worth, Texas. She also gave a presentation at the Caballeros Museum in Wickenburg, Arizona. Last February, in 2011, Marilyn was honored as one of two Americans to be invited to an International Fiber Exhibition in Yogyakarta, Indonesia. There were only sixty-three artists from the entire world to be included.

She has consistently won first place awards in numerous juried shows, including first place in the Phippen Museum Show. Subsequently she was invited to be part of the Phippen twenty year retrospective of award winners. Marilyn has lectured and led workshops world wide and been featured on television. She has been an invitational and featured artist at the Peppertree Ranch Art show in Santa Ynez, California and the World Batik Conference in Boston.

Combining her abiding love of nature and her desire to portray western heritage and peoples she cared about on a deeply personal level, she moved from Southern California with her husband to the Tonto National Forest, in Arizona, in 1998. Here Marilyn feels most alive. Her senses are sharpened by witnessing the earth's rhythms, awakening to the smells of the forest, the subtle changes of the seasons, watching movement of the sun casting light over the thick Ponderosa pine trees and mountains during the day, and viewing rich colors and shadows deepening as time passes. It is wondrous watching the elk, deer, birds and other animals that are a part of her surroundings. Living in the Southwest has enabled Marilyn to more than realize her dream. For over a decade deep friendships have evolved with working cowboys, and the Navajo, Lakota and Hopi people. She and her husband spend countless days at their ranches, homes and reservations and have had the privilege of seeing and hearing first hand about their reverence for the land, the importance of family and teaching their children their traditions, their enduring faith in the face of tremendous pain, loss and suffering, the courage, strength and innate wisdom and above all the freedom that is felt to be able to accomplish what is deeply important to them. As Marilyn listens, understands and absorbs the sacred sharing gifts of dear friends, she is profoundly humbled. There is a kinship and a shared humanity that has been forever forged - a burning desire in her to capture their story in her glowing paintings on silk.

For More Information See
Asbestos
Asbestos