 Marsh received a Bachelor of Fine Arts in 1978 from California State University Long Beach.From 1978 to 1981, Marsh studied as an apprentice under Japanese potter Shimaoka, in Mashiko, Japan.Marsh worked with Shimaoka's shokunin, or craftsmen, on a daily basis and was influenced by the traditional culture of the community, which differed from Marsh's experience of art-making in the United States.