The Unveiling

Recently, we revealed an iconic painting to honor our Co-Founders, Mae Abraham and Father Martin. The painter, Martha Doty, spent months working on this work of art, capturing the essence of Mae and Father Martin. At the unveiling ceremony, Father Joe ended with a blessing of the painting. We are grateful to keep their memory alive with a tribute portrait on the grand staircase in Bantle Hall.

About the Artist

Martha Doty is a portrait painter who works from her studio in Connecticut. A native of New York City, she graduated from School of Visual Arts with a BFA majoring in illustration. While there, she studied Alla Prima painting with Max Ginsburg and continues to participate in his workshops at his studio in NY.

One of seven children, Martha was surrounded by music and art since early childhood. Her father, a professor of English at Pace University, was an opera singer and her mother, Dorothy Papy, was a graduate of Pratt Institute and an illustrator.

Fresh out of school Martha illustrated several children’s books, notably The Horseshoe Canyon Book Series, Ballet Bug, and Barbara Esbensen: Words Into Pictures.

She later embarked on a career in graphic design that spanned over two decades and continued to paint portraits throughout.

Because many of her portraits are done posthumously she works from photographs and still manages to capture the essence of the subject which is why she believes her talent is spiritually driven.  She feels an intuitive connection to the person she’s painting that cannot be put into words.

In discovering the Twelve Steps of Alcoholics Anonymous Martha experienced a spiritual awakening, which led to an evolution in her paintings. Enthusiasm for her work grew.

In addition to private commissions, she has painted portraits of Bill Wilson, Marty Mann and Sister Francis for Highwatch Recovery Center and most recently Father Martin and Mae Abraham, founders of Ashley Recovery.

Martha Doty lives with her wife and grandson in West Haven CT.