GINA B. GOOD / PVT Jerry Marti, left, accepts a certificate of appreciation from Rodney Camacho, president of the Pahrump Arts Council, while PAC board of directors member, Carol Wertsbaugh, looks on. Advertisement

There are two days left to see the beautifully painted landscapes by artist Mary Anne Layley-Marti currently on display at the Pahrump Community Library. A new exhibit will be hung Friday.

Seascapes were Layley-Marti's favorite subjects and her see-through ocean waves crashing into the shore with sunlight reflected through the sea foam show she handled her oils and brushes deftly.

The Pahrump Arts Council hosted a memorial reception for the artist Saturday, with her family in attendance. She passed away Dec. 9, 2007, at age 69.

Jerri Marti and his wife, Mary Anne, moved to Pahrump in late 2006, from San Diego, Calif. "She was so excited to find this group of artists," said her daughter, Debbie Rodriquez.

"Thank you very much for this opportunity to show our mother's work," said Rodriquez, standing in front of the gathering with her brother, John Marti. "Our mother was obviously very talented and we are happy to share this all with you."

Layley-Marti's granddaughter, Annie Rodriquez, also attended the reception.

Rodriquez said her mother painted between 1,000 to 2,000 works during her 40-year career. "She wanted to be an artist since she was a little girl."

As an adult, Layley-Marti educated herself by taking classes and studying under many professional artists. Her husband also helped by taking photographs of scenic spots or other subjects she was studying, like horses.

"She would go to museums and study famous paintings for hours," recalled Marti. "One time I said, 'Honey, you are standing too close. You can't see the painting.' She told me, 'I can see every stroke.'"

After Marti retired, the couple lived in several states before moving to Pahrump. "We looked on the map for a state where people didn't know how to spell humidity," said Marti.

"We listened to Art Bell for 20 years," he said. "That's how we heard about Pahrump. We knew how many stop lights there were and all sorts of things about the town. We felt familiar here right away."

When presented with a certificate by PAC President Rodney Camacho for the many things he and his wife have done for Pahrump's art community, Marti was moved to the point of not being able to speak.

He later said, "We were married for 48 years, one month and two days." Although his wife is gone, Marti added, "I don't want to leave Pahrump."