Donna L. Martin Fine Art

Beautifully Broken 21.5 X 10.5 (at highest point in the middle) Original art Mixed Media/Assemblage on cradle boards In our journeys, there are usually broken pieces.   People we’ve loved and lost, friends who have been in our lives for a season, families torn apart.   These are our stories.   These are the layers of our lives.   These broken pieces make us who we are, who we become.   What we do with those broken pieces is up to us.   We have the choice to create new stories, to try again.   Our wings may be tattered and worn, but they are ours and they can still fly.   We are all beautifully broken.   The doorknob in this piece represents old doors closing and new ones opening.   The background was created using pieces of a vintage world atlas, representing the layers of our lives and our journeys.   The wings were bathed in resin to finish this piece. This piece is sold, but commissions are welcome.  Feel free to cont...

 Petunia Wow...I never knew hand sculpting was so difficult...until I decided to take on this project!  But I'm pretty smitten with her.  Meet Petunia!  She is hand-sculpted and hand-painted from clay.   Petunia will be part of an online event taking place next week on FB.  I'm so excited to share the Facebook group that I belong to, called The Creative Kind. We are a group of artists from all over the country that met online through mutual admiration of each other's work. Our mission is to use our artwork for good and to spread kindness — to “pay it forward.” Every month, we do an online event, offering our work for sale. Twenty percent of every sale goes to a pre-determined charitable organization. Since our group started in July, 2018, we've donated $18,936.93! This group of women are amazing artists but more than that, truly have the biggest hearts and so much compassion. Even though we've never met in person, there is connection and community amon...

 Grace “Grace” by Donna L. Martin  18” X 18” X 1.5” Original Art Mixed Media on deep, gallery wrapped canvas, ready to hang. Happiness cannot be traveled to, owned, earned, worn or consumed. Happiness is the spiritual experience of living every minute with love, grace, and gratitude. ~ Denis Waitley This painting was created with many, many layers of papers, inks, and acrylic ink.   I created this during the time my dad was dealing with terminal cancer.   I felt the true healing powers of this painting for the grief I was experiencing.   I felt and experienced grace. This painting is sold, but commissions are welcome.  Contact me via email or follow me on Social Media.  You can also check out my website,  https://dmartinfineart.com/ . https://www.facebook.com/donnamartinfineart https://www.instagram.com/donnamartinfineart/

  Daphne 12”x12” Original Art Watercolor Batik and Acrylic Ink collaged on to a gallery depth canvas.  Daphne realized she wasn’t like the others.   She tried to fit in, but she was quieter than the others and her colors were just a little “off”.    She never quite felt accepted, even though she had big dreams and she was smart.   Then Daphne met Theo.   Theo was an elephant whose colors were also a little “off”.   The other elephants teased Theo and nicknamed him “Psychadelepant”, which hurt Theo terribly.   Daphne and Theo became lifelong friends and the best part, is that they accepted each other unconditionally.   Through each other’s eyes, they also learned to accept themselves, just as they were.   Perfectly imperfect. Daphne now lives in Canada with her new owner, but commissions are welcome.  Feel free to contact me and I would love to hear from you! https://dmartinfineart.com/ https://saltlightwatercolors@yahoo.c...

Bluebird 12” X 12” X 1.5” Original art Mixed Media on thick, Gallery Wrapped Canvas This painting was inspired by song lyrics from Miranda Lambert. Part of the chorus says, “And if the whole wide world stops singing and all the stars go dark I'll keep a light on in my soul, keep a bluebird in my heart.”   This painting is available!  Feel free to contact me.  Follow me on my website, Facebook, or Instagram. https://dmartinfineart.com/ https://www.instagram.com/donnamartinfineart/ https://www.facebook.com/donnamartinfineart

  Wild Heart This was a painting that I thought I had finished. It had been sitting up against the wall for months. When I walked past it not too long ago, I realized it was nowhere near finished. It lacked light and life. I picked it up and began to add to it. I added colors and shapes and tiny details. It came to life in full bloom. Created with abandon and a wild heart! 12 X 12 Mixed Media This painting is sold, but commissions are welcome.  Please feel free to contact me...I would love to hear from you! https://www.facebook.com/donnamartinfineart https://www.saltlightwatercolors@yahoo.com https://www.instagram.com/donnamartinfineart https://dmartinfineart.com/

Wildflowers My Dad recently passed away and in moving through and navigating this difficult season, I have to say that I’ve learned many lessons. This painting was inspired by one of those lessons and I'd like to share with you what I learned. Kindness. Plain, simple, kindness. I know, we talk about it all the time. We even wear shirts saying “Be Kind” or “Kindness Matters”. But do we really walk the talk. Is kindness and the idea of it something we feel in our hearts and in the depths of our souls? Is kindness just a passing t hought or a “nice” idea? How often do we meditate on it? Well, I have been thinking about it. A lot. Have you considered the person that just “cut in front of you” on the highway? Maybe, just maybe, it was a single mother, late to work because her baby was sick. Maybe she was on the verge of losing her job because this was the second time in two weeks she was late and she has no support system. No close family or friends who c...

Moon Kissed This is one of my latest in my series of "moonlight trees".  It has lots of dimension and layers, adding to the interest and mystery of this piece. This piece is available.  Feel free to contact me via email at:  www.saltlightwatercolors@yahoo.com . You can also follow me on my website , instagram , and FB .  Feel free to reach out...I'd love to hear from you!

Gypsy Soul This is my latest mixed media/abstract piece of work, fresh off of the easel.  It has a lot of depth, texture, and many, many layers.  This is unlike what I've done before...a total experiment totally out of my comfort zone!  But, it was so much fun! This piece is currently available.  Send me an  email  if you are interested in purchasing or if you have any questions or comments...I would love to hear from you! https://donnamartinfineart.com/ https://www.instagram.com/donnamartinfineart/?hl=en https://www.facebook.com/donnamartinfineart/

Night Moves This is my latest mixed media/abstract piece of work.  It has a lot of depth, texture, and many, many layers.  It was finished with deep, rich tones of blues, grays, and light greens. This piece is currently available.  Send me an email if you are interested in purchasing or if you have any questions or comments...I would love to hear from you! https://donnamartinfineart.com/ https://www.instagram.com/donnamartinfineart/?hl=en https://www.facebook.com/donnamartinfineart/

Beautifully Broken In our journeys, there are usually broken pieces.  People we’ve loved and lost, friends who have been in our lives for a season, families torn apart.  These are our stories.  These are the layers of our lives.  These broken pieces make us who we are, who we become.  What we do with those broken pieces is up to us.  We have the choice to create new stories, to try again.  Our wings may be tattered and worn, but they are ours and they can still fly.  We are all beautifully broken.  The doorknob in this piece represents old doors closing and new ones opening.  The background was created using pieces of a vintage world atlas, representing the layers of our lives and our journeys.  The wings were bathed in resin to finish this piece, so there is no need for framing. This piece will be available in an online Facebook Event beginning Sunday and running through Monday.  These events are fun a...

Wonder Trees seem to be my thing. I’m always inspired and awed by them. They are always so resilient and ever changing at the same time. They never cease to amaze me. For this piece, I combined many layers of hand-painted papers, inks, and acrylic paint. I also painted “outside of my comfort zone”, using colors that I don’t normally use. Finally, I added modeling paste to add depth and more texture. This piece is available now on Facebook, Artistic Souls Gallery . www.donnamartinfineart.com https://www.facebook.com/donnamartinfineart/

Winter Solstice Happy, Happy New Year!   I am so excited and honored to announce that this painting will be exhibited and available at the Kreuser Gallery in Colorado Springs CO.  It will be part of an exhibit entitled "Gratitude".  The Opening Reception will be held on Friday, February 1st from 5:00-9:00 pm.  There will be music by Phosphene Eyes with a special performance at 7:00 pm by Artist Jasmine Dillavou.  The Gallery is located at 125 E. Boulder Street, Colorado Springs, CO.  I would love to see you there! www.abigailkreusergallery.com     www.donnamartinfineart.com www.facebook.com/donnamartinfineart/ www.instagram.com/donnamartinfineart/

"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...

Stages of the Heart This is an original mixed media piece I created after going through stages of grief, feelings of loss, and healing after the death of a dear friend. It is titled "Stages of the Heart".  The first Heart is "Hopeful", in thinking about the beginning of a relationship and wondering what the future might hold. It is a red heart made of Tyvek paper and burlap, painted in shades of red. The second heart is "Broken", and represents what I was feeling about death and loss. It is a purple heart made of broken windshield glass. It expresses a myriad of emotions.  The third Heart is "Healing", signifying the healing that can happen after loss. It is made of some of the broken windshield glass and gauze bandages. The piece was finished with a resin, which gave it alot of depth and made the colors "pop".  This is a very personal piece to me and helped me to express all the various emotions that I was feel...

Forgotten Girl Dear Forgotten Girl, I see you.  I've always seen you.   I saw the many times you were overlooked and felt forgotten.  I was there when you were always the last picked for the team.  I saw the hurt in your eyes when friends would pass you by to hang out with the other "cool kids".  You never fit it, because of your last name, because the color of your skin wasn't the same as the others in your class, because you were the quiet one.  You were restless and longing for more...even at a young age. You tried your hardest to make friends, but so often, it didn't happen.  You were different, not like the others. I witnessed your best friend's dad abusing you at the age of 7.  I felt your confusion and your pain, not quite sure of what just happened.  You were too scared to tell your parents.  How would you even tell them something you didn't understand yourself?  Would they believe you anyway...you ...

"Take These Broken Wings" Sometimes we feel lost, broken, and so alone.  We feel like we've lost the ability to "fly", to find the joy, the ability to be grateful and see the good in the world.  It's almost as though we look in the mirror and don't recognize the shadow looking back at us. Sometimes, we need people to help us recreate our broken wings, to transform them into something different, something beautiful.  We need the random kindness of a stranger, a smile from the person behind the counter, almost as much as we need the people that know us the best and love us anyway.  Let's face it, there is much brokenness in the world.  People are hurting, people are searching, people are crying alone in the darkness of the night.  My question to you is, can you be a light?  Can you give someone a smile or say hello, even thought we are all different?  Can you make a difference in someone's life and be a step to mending broken wings? ...

Stages of the Heart This is an original mixed media piece I created after going through alot of grieving, feelings of loss, and healing after the death of a dear friend. It is titled "Stages of the Heart". The first Heart is "Hopeful", in thinking about the beginning of a relationship and wondering what the future might hold. It is a red heart made of Tyvek and burlap, painted red. The second heart is "Broken", and represents what I was feeling about death and loss. It is a purple heart made of broken windshield glass. It expresses alot of emotion. The third Heart is "Healing", signifying the healing that can happen after loss. It is made of some of the broken windshield glass and bandages. This is a very personal piece to me and helped me to express all the various emotions that I was feeling. The original piece is sold.  Commissions are welcome.  For questions or comments, please feel free to contact me at: saltlightwat...

"Enjoy The Journey"     This is the newest piece, fresh off the easel.  I just lost my Aunt, who fought a courageous battle against cancer.  The painting that I had planned when I started this piece "disappeared" - so much for best laid plans.  This painting just poured out on to the board and practically painted itself.  My Aunt was a beautiful soul and I believe she "enjoyed every step of the journey".  She will be missed every day.     This painting is 10 X 10 X 1.5.  It is made with vibrant colors of paint, antique maps, and is heavily textured.  It is currently available.  Please feel free to email me with questions, comments, or if you are interested in purchasing.     saltlightwatercolors@yahoo.com   See more of my work at:  donnamartinfineart.com   Follow me on Facebook at:  https://www.facebook.com/#!/donnamartinfineart

"Song of Hope"   Hope is the thing with feathers  That perches in the soul,  And sings the tune without the words,  And never stops at all,     And sweetest in the gale is heard;          And sore must be the storm  That could abash the little bird  That kept so many warm.      –from "Hope is the Thing with Feathers " by Emily Dickinson   I love this little poem from Emily Dickinson.  It reminds me to listen to that still, small voice in my soul that tells me to never give up.  Sometimes we just have to be still and listen for it.   This is a little mixed media bird that I created with molding paste, painted paper, stencils, and tree bark.  The original is sold, but commissions are welcome.    Please feel free to email me with questions or comments: saltlightwatercolors@yahoo.com   You can view ...