Margot Hartford is a multidisciplinary artist and photographer whose work blends fine art photography, collage, and image transfer techniques. A native of Waterloo, Canada, she discovered photography at age 14 in the darkroom she shared with her brother. After studying photography and film in Toronto, Margot moved to northern California, where she built a successful career as a commercial photographer. Over time, Margot turned to fine art as a counterbalance to the digital demands of commercial work. Her practice now includes self-directed photographic series and innovative mixed-media pieces that combine her own high-resolution images with paint, encaustic, and paper. In recent years, she has developed a distinctive body of work using image transfers printed on acetate and applied to wood, glass, and metal—creating one-of-a-kind pieces that carry both texture and nostalgia. Margot is especially drawn to bold colors and motifs from the 1950s and 1960s, often featuring figures in vintage attire, swimmers in modest bathing suits, or men in dark suits and fedoras. These themes reflect her love of mid-century design, her childhood memories of fairs, camps, and forests, and her deep interest in the ways nostalgia connects people across generations. “I can do whatever I want with paint or paper because there are no rules,” she explains, embracing the freedom that comes from breaking tradition. Now based in California, Margot continues to expand her explorations in photography and mixed media while also teaching image transfer and encaustics workshops. Her work reflects both her commercial eye for light and composition and her fine art commitment to play, experimentation, and memory. Learn more about Margot Hartford on Radio Maine.