Donna L. Martin Fine Art

  Forever Changed Sometimes people come into our lives unexpectedly.  They end up doing life with us, the good and the bad.  They see us through the most trying times and the offer us unwavering friendship and love.  They are “our person”.  Sometimes, they are gone way too soon.  But because of them, we are forever changed.  This piece has layers of papers, paints, inks, and is heavily textured. This piece is sold, but commissions are welcomed.  Feel free to contact me via email at  saltlightwatercolors@yahoo.com .  You can also follow me on Facebook and Instagram .   https://dmartinfineart.com/

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...

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...

" 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/

"Truly, Madly, Deeply...Love" For some reason, I get on these kicks to create "Heart" work!  Maybe it's because I have a son who was born on Valentine's Day. I also seem to find "heart" shaped objects everywhere I go, and I get inspired.   Last year, I found this frame with the tin attached, at a summer market. It appears to be an old ceiling tile that they stapled to the inside of the frame.  It was the ideal inspiration, as I love combining old "things" and new artwork.  I knew this would be perfect for what I was thinking about creating with the hearts.  I created a piece of art (heart) for each individual tile.  They are respectively titled "truly", "madly", "deeply", and "love".  The pieces were constructed on 1.5" deep cradle board and attached to the tile.  They are coated with a glossy resin, which makes the colors "pop".  On the bott...

"Beauty from the Brokenness" This little painting is the newest one to be completed.  It is an original mixed media piece done with acrylics, inks, painted papers, and broken windshield glass.   I know so many people who are having such difficulty and loss in their lives right now. This was my attempt at expressing how beauty can come after our brokenness and loss. The size on this piee is 12 X 12.  It will be finished with resin and will be available during an online Handmade Holiday Auction I am participating in. Check it out to see the amazing artwork that will be available! www.donnamartinfineart.com https://www.facebook.com/donnamartinfineart/

"Dreaming of a Blue Moon" This little piece started as a demo piece for a mixed media class I was teaching/leading (I think the students teach me as much as I do them).  I started out using acrylic paint in blues and golds.  I added stencils and texture paste to create the flowers in the background.  I still wasn't sure what my subject was going to be, but that is becoming the norm for me! Pretty soon, I noticed some of the patterning on the piece and thought it looked like feathering and wings.  I decided to take a chance and see if an owl would come to life in this piece.  (This was the patterning I brought forward in her chest and wings) I decided to make her look very fluffy and sleepy.  I accented her shape with a sharpie paint pen and made the branch out of painted vintage sheet music.  The leaves were made with painted rice paper.   She is peacefully sleeping, dreaming of the blue moon! This piece meas...

"I Love You Truly" This little painting is fresh off the easel.  It is heavily textured, has many layers, and the cross is made out of metal.  Everything came together for this one and I feel the title of the piece says it all,  "I Love You Truly". This painting is 12 X 12 X 1.5, done on a cradle board.  It will be finished with a resin coat and comes ready to hang. Feel free to send me an email with questions, comments, or if you are interested in purchasing. saltlightwatercolors@yahoo.com donnamartinfineart.com Follow me on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/donnamartinfineart

"Truly, Madly, Deeply...Love" For some reason, I've been on this kick to create "Heart" work!  Maybe it's because I have a son who was born on Valentine's Day and he's been on my mind lately, which is a good thing.  So, this is the latest big endeavor.  I found this frame with the tin attached, at a summer market. It appears to be an old ceiling tile that they stapled to the inside of the frame.  It was the ideal inspiration, as I love combining old things and new artwork.  I knew this would be perfect for what I was thinking about creating with the hearts.  I created a piece of art (heart) for each individual tile.  They are respectively titled "truly", "madly", "deeply", and "love".  The pieces were constructed on 1.5" deep cradle board and attached to the tile.  They are coated with a glossy resin, which makes the colors "pop".  On the bottom of each piec...