Donna L. Martin Fine Art

"Surrender" This is an original mixed media painting, just completed.  I had started with the background and had no idea what to do for the focal point.  I sat with this piece for a few days before I added the hummingbird.  At the time, it was just a few days before the hummingbirds in our yard were gone for the season and I wanted to remember them this year.  I was also contemplating how so many of my family and friends are in the midst of quite a few challenges this year.  I wanted this painting to symbolize love, joy, truth, and resilience.  A spirit of surrendering to the moment, not giving up, but accepting the challenges and facing them with grace and fortitude.  This painting will be available in an upcoming Facebook auction I am participating in.  Each month, our group donates 20% of our sales to a worthwhile charity or cause.  I would love it if you would check it out!  It's a great way to own a piece of...

"Be Still" This little 8 X 8 abstract is fresh off the easel.  There's alot going on in this painting, but for me, it's a simple reminder that sometimes we just have to "be still". This painting is available.  It is currently on exhibit at the Manitou Art Center in Manitou Springs, CO. Feel free to send me an email with any questions or comments! www.donnamartinfineart.com www.facebook.com/donnamartinfineart https://www.instagram.com/donnamartinfineart/

There is Always Light Well, this one was a wild ride!  This is fresh off the easel and for a while, it was a true ugly duckling.  I decided to walk...no run, out of my comfort zone and use colors that I don't usually use.  The photo below is the beginning of the process, using stencils and collage, and then trying to tone it down with some titanium white. After this, I added texture around the piece using molding paste and stencils, layering one stencil over the other so it wouldn't look so "contrived".  After it was dry, I began adding inks...in colors that I wouldn't normally use.  I used a purple ink that had just a small amount of shimmer to it.  It was very, very bright and I needed to tone it down again.  After the "wild colors" had dried, I added sepia ink over the whole piece...several times. At this stage, I was pretty sure I had ruined it, but what happened next was pretty amazing.  The colors started sho...

"Stand by Me" This is one of my latest paintings in my series of tree paintings.  It was created using layers of hand-painted papers, acrylic paints, and acrylic inks.  So many hours were spent on the trees and trying to create sort of an ethereal feel and look to this one.  Here is a photo of how this one began and the progress: This painting will be available for purchase during a couple of art shows I am participating in this year.  The first is in Parker, CO, Art in the Park, on August 25th and 26th from 10:00 - 4:00.  The second show is the Castle Rock Artfest in Castle Rock, CO on Sept. 8th and 9th from 10:00 - 5:00.  I would love to see you there!  In the meantime, feel free to send me an email , or follow me on Facebook and Instagram .   

Winter Day This little painting is fresh off the easel.  It was created with hand-painted papers, inks, and acrylic paints.  It has a dreamy, luminescent quality because of all the layers and glazing of paint. This one measures 8 X 8 and is finished with a simple, black floater frame.  It is available.  Feel free to send me an email for questions, comments, or if you are interested in purchasing. Be sure to follow me on Facebook , Instagram , or check out my website .

"The Road Less Traveled" The finished piece! I had been wanting to create an elephant in mixed media for quite a while.  I have been admiring Tracy Verdugo's work and I love the elephants that she creates, so that was the inspiration for this piece.  I was actually fortunate enough to be attend one of her workshops a couple of years ago...it was magical!   This is how it started.  I gessoed a piece of 20 X 20 cradle board.  Then I added texture with molding paste and stencils.  I also added some molding paste to the elephant's trunk and head.  I had some textured paper that I love and decided to add some of that to her ears.  I then gessoed over the molding paste and the paper on her ears. Here you can see I started adding some paint.  I used Golden's  Quinacridone Nickel Azo Gold and Burnt Orange.  I'm all about the Turquoise lately, so I threw that in too. Now for the scary part...startin...

" Today I Choose to Be a Light" This is the latest in my little series.  The title is, "Today I Choose to Be a Light".  I've been pondering the thought that every day we can choose our attitudes towards others and towards life in general.  This is the thought I chose for today.  I'm not perfect, but how can I be a light for others?  Can I extend a kind word, look at someone and smile, acknowledge someone and look them in the eye without just brushing past them?  Today I will make that effort and do my best. This little painting is 8 X 8, framed in a simple black floater frame.  It is available.  Feel free to send me an email with any questions or comments.  www.donnamartinfineart.com www.instagram.com/donnamartinfineart/ www.facebook.com/donnamartinfineart/

Make Memories This is my latest Encaustic/Mixed Media piece.  The background was done with layers of hand-painted papers and inks.  The trees were created with acrylic ink, as were the leaves around the trunks.  After the encaustic wax was added, I scraped in additional branches and marks. I decided to add these words to it, "make memories".  I see so many people on their phones and just not making connections face to face anymore...truth be told, myself included.  Even at events, vacations, or something as simple as spending time with family, some moments, some memories, are lost because we are trying to capture it in a photo on our phones.  I wanted to remind myself not to take these moments for granted, to actually live it and cherish the memory of it. This piece is available.  It is a small, 8 X 8, that I've framed in a simple, black floater frame.  Feel free to send me an email if you have any questions, com...

The Circle of Life I can finally share this piece!  I think it's become one of my favorites.  This was a commission piece for my husband's sweet Aunt.  She loves butterflies and she had seen another piece that I had completed last year and asked if I would create something along the same lines for her.  Although this didn't turn out to be an exact replica of the piece I created before, I love this one even more.  It is lighter and more luminescent than the other was.  I added 5 butterflies representing her "original family".  Now, the family has evolved and transformed, with the blessing of grandchildren and spouses.  I feel like this painting symbolizes the evolution of life...how it can change and become even more beautiful than we ever dreamed possible. I used a vintage handkerchief for the background.  I also added some spackling paste for texture and depth. I added various paints and inks.  F...

Today I Choose Joy This little painting is the latest in a series I'm working on.  I was thinking about how amazing it is that we have the opportunity to actually choose our attitudes, every day, and we get to choose how to deal with our individual situations.  This painting symbolizes how I was feeling on this particular day and how I decided to "choose joy".  I'm hoping it brings the viewer some joy when looking at it! This painting was created with many different layers of hand-painted papers, acrylic paints, and acrylic inks.  This painting is sold, but commissions are available.  Please feel free to contact me with any questions or comments...I would love to hear from you.   www.saltlightwatercolors@yahoo.com www.donnamartinfineart.com www.facebook.com/donnamartinfineart/ www.instagram.com/donnamartinfineart/

These Are the Moments “Paradise has never been about places.   It exists in moments.   In connection.   In flashes across time.” – Victoria Erickson Seems like in this life, we get those rare and beautiful moments of just pure joy.   I was reminiscing about one of those beautiful moments when I created this painting.   I embedded a photo that I took off the coast of Oregon into the background.   I embellished it with paints and inks and added another small tree.   The background also has a portion of an old deed embedded into it along with some fabric and painted papers.   The whole piece was then finished with a layer of encaustic wax. This painting is sold, but commissions are available.  Feel free to send me an email with any questions or comments! www.donnamartinfineart.com www.facebook.com/donnamartinfineart/

"Peace Among the Trees" This is my newest piece.  It was created after learning about a dear friend who was recently diagnosed with a devastating form of cancer.  Sometimes, after news like that, there are no words.  There was and is so much emotion and so many stages of "grief" after getting the news.  My friend is strong and courageous.  Her roots are planted deep and she will fight this with all she has.  She is walking through this battle with grace and fortitude.  She is truly my hero and my inspiration.     This piece was created with may layers of painted papers, paints, and inks. It was finished with a layer of beautiful, dreamy, encaustic wax. This is a small 8 X 8 piece, which I have finished with a simple black floater frame.  It is available.  You can send me an email here with any questions, comments, or if you are interested in purchasing. You can check out more of my work at ...

Legend of the Tree This painting is fresh off the easel.  It has rich texture created with papers, paints, and stamps.  The words in the painting are blurred, offering the viewer a little mystery and suggesting that they take their best guess as to what they are saying.   This painting was created as a gift for a very special friend, but commissions are welcome.  I would love to hear from you with any questions or comments.  You can send me a message at saltlightwatercolors@yahoo.com . www.donnamartinfineart.com www.instagram.com/donnamartinfineart/ www.facebook.com/donnamartinfineart

"In the Midst" This painting is finally done...fresh off the easel.  I've been challenging myself with creating abstract art lately.  It has really been a challenge, but I am loving every minute of it.  This was actually created because I didn't like the elements of the whole painting, but in pieces, it began to come together to form a cohesive piece that.  When I had finished the layout and composition, I began to wonder what would happen if I added a layer of encaustic wax over the entire piece...why not?  The result was dreamy and a little mysterious.  I know so many friends and family that are going through difficult times. In creating this piece, I was feeling as if the in the midst of chaos or confusion, small pieces of even those difficult moments can all come together to create something beautiful.   Sometimes, the only thing that makes sense is taking the small, beautiful, and the unexpected fragment...

Fearless Soul It was a cold and snowy day...actually a blizzard!  They called a "snow day" at my "day job", so what's a girl to do?  Jump up and down, sing and dance because there is time to paint!  And what a perfect day! So in all that joy, this little warrior showed up.  This little encaustic was done with lots of layers.  It has tissue paper, paint, part of an old deed from the early 1900's, plaster, ink, and of course wax.  I got to use my Stencil Girl Stencil for her face.  She looks very determined, very fearless, thus the title, "Fearless Soul". This little, bold painting is sold, but commissions are welcome!  Feel free to contact me with any questions or comments. saltlightwatercolors@yahoo.com www.donnamartinfineart.com www.facebook.com/donnamartinfineart/  

Uncaged This is an original mixed media piece. It was created using inks, paint, paper, molding paste, and gold mica flakes. It was finished with a beautiful resin coating, which makes the colors "pop" and eliminates the need for framing. This piece is sold, but commissions are welcome.  Please feel free to contact me at: saltlightwatercolors@yahoo.com www.facebook.com/donnamartinfineart/ http://donnamartinfineart.com/ www.instagram.com/donnamartinfineart/