Martin Beek was born in north London in 1958. He is an artist who works in different media and styles. Previously, his work consisted mainly of landscapes in oil and pastel, mainly of rural America. He had his first public exhibition at Exeter University Library in 1981. He has had numerous solo and joint exhibitions in England, USA and Canada, and his work is in many collections. Martin’s most frequent co-exhibitor is the studio potter Andrew Hazelden. His focus on portraits began in 2007. In 2010 he discovered Julia Kay’s Portrait Party on flickr.com and has been a very active participant since.