Donna L. Martin Fine Art

Dragons Soar       This is the latest little painting I completed.  It's the time of the year I've been thinking about family, getting out in the warm sunshine, planting flowers, breathing in the fresh air.  I named it "Dragons Soar" because I have a little sign in my garden that says "In my garden, hearts soar and dragons fly."    In thinking about the dragonfly and creating this piece, I found this interesting symbolism.  The dragonfly normally lives most of its life as a nymph or an immature. It flies only for a fraction of its life and usually not more than a few months. This adult dragonfly does it all in these few months and leaves nothing to be desired. This style of life symbolizes and exemplifies the virtue of living IN the moment and living life to the fullest. By living in the moment you are aware of who you are, where you are, what you are doing, what you want, what you don’t and are able to make informed choices o...

Stages of the Heart This is a sad day for me.  I am remembering May 21, 1979 like it was yesterday.  It was the day I lost my first baby.  She was due August 28th, but because of a tear in the placenta, she was born on May 21st.  I keep thinking if she had been born now, they probably could have saved her.  She was born in a small, rural hospital in Texas.  They didn't have a neo-natal unit at the time and there wasn't time to send me to a larger hospital.  My labor and delivery lasted only about 4 hours, but to me, it seemed like an eternity.  And, to top it off, I was only 16 years old.  I did not know why this was happening and I just knew they would be able to stop the labor.  They couldn't.  My tiny baby girl was born with her heart beating, but they could not get her to breathe.  They couldn't save her.  Love couldn't save her.  She was so tiny, weighing a little over a pound, but she was beautiful...

Hearts and Wings This year seems to be a year of reflection and new direction.  I've been thinking alot, reading alot, and DREAMING...alot.  With that being said, at the beginning of the year, I made a resolution to not make a resolution.  My brain is always going in a million directions anyway and that just seemed like one more thing on the "to do" list.  And, I hate to do lists.  Anyone who knows me could probably figure that one out.  At the same time, I wanted to make goals and work on one at least one of my "flaws", for lack of a better term.  I had the idea of making a piece of art with one particular word that I wanted to work on, kind of like a symbolic reminder.  Seemed better to me than making some stupid resolution.  I also thought that something tangible, coming from the heart, would hold more meaning for me.  Now the trouble was just coming up with one word...there are many, many things that I need...

Shine On I've been doing alot of reflection and contemplating these days.  I've been trying to be more mindful, taking more time to really be "in the moment".  Cherishing and enjoying those rare, happy, blissful moments.  It seems that even when we are doing something we enjoy or we are with people we love, our minds are still going in a million directions and we are constantly thinking - about what happens next, what happens tomorrow, what happens next Tuesday. As I was getting lost in creating this little painting, I was reflecting on those happy moments.  Those moments of pure joy that I will always treasure.  I thought about my little Granddaughters...their giggles and their laughter at the silly things I say to them.  The smell of fresh rain on the asphalt and breathing it in.  The majesty of the rocky mountains and how it makes me feel like I'm " home " when I see them.  Cuddling a newborn baby or seeing the look...

       Fly Free   I have always been one of those people who is naturally shy.  It may have a little to do with the way we were raised, we were always told that children "are to be seen and not heard".  Growing up in that culture, I've always had trouble expressing what I'm feeling or saying what I wanted to say.  Why would I have anything worth saying?  I always felt that when I finally was able to say something, was anyone really listening?    To add to this, I grew up feeling like I really didn't fit in anywhere, that I was usually the odd one out.  I was the one who got picked last for the team, didn't stand up for myself...I didn't know how, didn't have " permission ".  I couldn't really find my place, or my voice.    I attended Columbine High School for one semester before we moved to a wonderful little small Texas town.  When I first got there, the kids in ...

I had always considered myself to be a watercolor artist and to be honest, I was always boxed in by those thoughts and that particular "label".  I thought that's all I could and would ever do with my art.  Then life has a funny way of coming along and throwing you a a curve ball, or two, or three.  Some know, some don't, but I had a very dear friend that committed suicide - it will be 3 years this July.  After that happened, I lost my heart and lost my way.  I couldn't think straight and was overwhelmed with emotion.  He left me a goodbye note.  I thought I should have seen it coming.  I thought I could have stopped it if I had known.  There are so many emotions, even still.   I never thought I would pick up a brush again - and I didn't...for a long time.  Later that same year, by some divine intervention or design, I happened upon a workshop that Carol Nelson was doing on mixed media techniques.  I didn't r...

Fearless     If you’re like most people, you start out the year with the best intentions and make resolutions for the New Year.  It seems like by February, we feel like we have already slipped and by March or April, our best laid plans are past tense. Since our words give a voice to our soul, I decided that I would opt for a "word" this year instead of a resolution. I decided I would put my "word" into a piece of art, so "FEARLESS" was born.  It is meant to symbolize my heart with wings - flying fearlessly into the next great adventure!  What would your one "word" be? This original mixed media painting is 10X10X1 and is done on a cradle board. It is completed with a epoxy resin finish, eliminating the need for framing. The price is $130/free shipping within the United States. If you have comments or wish to purchase, please contact me at: saltlightwatercolors@yahoo.com  To purchase prints, please go to: http://fineartamer...