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BIOGRAPHY
Evan Stuart Marshall is a Roseland, New Jersey–based mixed-media abstract artist whose work is grounded in color, texture, and layered surfaces. Self-taught, he approaches painting intuitively, allowing process, experimentation, and revision to guide each piece rather than working from a predetermined plan.
Marshall has exhibited widely throughout New Jersey for more than a decade, with numerous solo exhibitions at galleries, libraries, and cultural institutions, including the Mayo Performing Arts Center in Morristown and the Gallery at Two South Willow in Montclair. His work has also appeared in a wide range of juried and invitational group exhibitions and public art projects, reflecting an active and sustained exhibition practice.
His paintings are held in private collections in the United States and internationally, including Germany, Switzerland, and Spain. He has received multiple awards in juried exhibitions at the county and state level, particularly for his work in acrylic and mixed media.
In addition to his studio practice, Marshall has taught mixed-media abstract painting and related techniques through regional arts organizations and has served in leadership and communications roles for several New Jersey art associations. He is also the author of books on abstract art, creativity, and collecting, reflecting a long-standing interest in making art accessible to both artists and collectors.
Marshall’s work is often described as optimistic and engaging—art intended to invite close looking, reward curiosity, and live comfortably in everyday spaces.
ARTIST STATEMENT
My paintings reflect an optimistic view of the world—what some people have called “happy art.” I typically work on several pieces at once, experimenting with materials and techniques to create layered, tactile surfaces. I scrape, blot, stencil, stamp, scratch, gouge, and often use my fingers, building texture through direct, physical engagement with the paint.
Inspiration comes from many sources: a color combination, a pattern, or a texture encountered in another work of art. Visits to galleries and museums often send me back to the studio eager to explore new ideas. I choose colors that “make my eyes happy”—a phrase I use because there is no more accurate way to describe the response I’m after. I continue working on a painting until it excites me, and I hope that same energy carries through to the viewer.
My process is entirely intuitive. I begin with a blank surface and respond to each mark as it appears, allowing the painting to develop through a continuous back-and-forth between action and reflection. Each work unfolds as a kind of dialogue, guided by instinct rather than a predetermined plan.
After exploring landscapes and still life early in my career, I committed fully to abstraction more than 25 years ago. What continues to drive my practice is the possibility of connection—creating work that invites engagement, rewards close looking, and lives comfortably in the spaces people inhabit.