Monday, November 13, 2017

2 Latest Paintings of Sea Turtles





I would like to share with you this latest painting I did on 11 X 14 stretched canvas using acrylic paint. This painting needs no frame and is ready for hanging as it is!

Sea turtles live to about 80 years old.  But I find their beginning the most amazing.  As you can tell in my painting above, the Sea Turtle is not made for land as many turtles are, but they are well adapted for aquatic life.  Still the pregnant female will drag herself up a long beach and with her hind legs, dig a large, circular type hole of about 20 inches wide. Then she lays anywhere from 50 to 350 eggs.  She them carefully covers the eggs back with sand before she returns to the water.

In about 60 days, the baby turtles hatch and dig their tiny bodies out of the sand and craw to their watery home.  The larger babies are stronger and faster and have a higher chance of making it to the somewhat safety of the water.  

This painting is forsale for $45.  If interested, please contact me at:  pjmartin2000@gmail.com . Thank you!







Wednesday, October 4, 2017

Time To Flee?



Packed roads of evacuees leaving Florida.

This heavy traffic continued long into the night!



But where? Is there a safe place?  Is this the end of the world?  With the disasters just here in the states, it can make you question… are we living in the last days? 

In the last few months alone, we have experienced Hurricane Harvey who worked his misery on Texas! Kim Jong-un looks more menacing than ever!  An 8.1 magnitude earthquake that rocked Mexico City and fires continue to rage all over the west and southwestern Canada – working their way even into our National Parks! Hurricane Irma (with Hurricane Jose’ on her heels…) said to have been the most catastrophic hurricane to ever hit Florida and the most destructive hurricane in the Atlantic in the last hundred years!!  Not to mention the total Eclipse of the sun and the latest blood moon! 

 As I watched, the ferocious forces of Hurricane Irma as it roared through the Caribbean’s with 185 miles an hour winds – I counted the days I had left to finish preparing my home for it’s possible total destruction, a little voice questioned, “Is this it?”.

Forcasted spaghetti lines showed Irma visiting Ohio and Indiana in her furthest reach north
As I went to get my last provisions at the grocer, I seen the doomsayers holding signs at corners and intersections shouting that this was the end… that same little voice spoke a little louder in my head, “Is this it? Are they right?  Am I ready?”

I don’t know if you have ever had to evacuate an area fated for natural disaster, but it can bring out the best and worst in a person as anxiety and stress levels rise.  Some run as fast and as far as they can, while others demand their right to stay to sometimes their bitter end.  

I battened my hatches best I could and packed a few of the irreplaceable belongings including my mom and small dog and left.  I drove about a mile and was stuck in thick traffic for 7 hours!  (I wasn’t on I-75!)  As we experience nature’s sometimes disastrous behaviors, we build hurricane proof buildings, underground shelters for tornadoes and dams to redirect powerful rivers.  

Hurricane Irma made her way through my area September 11... 9-11, again.  We were 4 days to 10 in the area without electricity.  Mom and I came back to not as much damage as we expected, and happy to have our home still standing! 

Much of the destruction came from the winds.

 Even though we came back 10 days after Irma passed our home, our local grocer was not fully stocked:





Still, we had our home and our lives, where so many did not from the storms and natural disasters that hit the US and surrounding areas hard this year:

Hurricane Harvey:  over 60 dead and over $160 billion in economic damage.
Hurricane Irma: over 70 dead and approximately $100 billion in damage.
Hurricane Maria: over 30 dead and a little less than $100 billion in damages in US - Puerto Rico.
Mexico has lost many lives in over 1500 earthquakes this year!

Prayers for our families, friends and neighbors.

Sunday, July 30, 2017

8 Thought-Provoking Paintings


Many pieces of art will take you on a journey... Some times the artist will purposefully lead you on this trek, while other pieces of artwork - take the artist themselves on an expedition as well.  They are exploring the nooks and turns, with each stroke of the paintbrush or dab of new color... much like you do when looking at a painting that seems to draw you in.


Like with this piece... I seen something that made me want to draw the person with the umbrella in a downward position...by the time I was done with it, I was moved to add a child.  Many people have commented about who these people are in the picture... and I have my own reflections.


This picture captured my attention from a friends photo of Tennessee sunset.  Within a day of me painting it, it spoke to someone, who bought it!




Sometimes it's color and/or action in a painting that may shout or whisper to you.  The picture of the sail boat with a backdrop of orange, whispers to me.  

To me... this reminds me of laying under huge trees looking up at the puffy clouds as a child.




Few paintings have spoke to me as this one...  At times I feel they... we...are on a journey.  Other times it makes me feel we are returning home.

I hope you have enjoyed this blog.  Leave comments or you can always email me at:  pjmartin2000@gmail.com.

Also, I would like to invite you to my Facebook page.  It is my personal page, so sometimes there might be a picture of my ultra-beautiful children and grandchildren!!!  :)  But, I try to everyday post a painting or other creative work on there.  Enjoy!  
My Facebook:   https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100005579297506




Monday, July 24, 2017

Things Unseen


Clay by JGA   https://www.facebook.com/Claybyjga/

A few weeks ago, this sweet little girl (pictured above) came up to my table as I was vending, and asked if I had a painting of a jellyfish! I thought to myself... jellyfish are see-through... colorless.  The only one I had ever seen was in someone's hand... which I would have never seen - and only seen it because it was laying flat in the palm of a woman's hand!

The little girl went on to tell me more about why she liked jellyfish.  I told her I would work on a jellyfish, even though I had my doubts of how to really make 'see-through' much to paint or look at.


Well, Miss (Joci) JGA... here is my watercolor painting of a jellyfish!!!

A few days prior to the show where I met JGA, a really nice lady asked me if I had ever drawn a 'harness horse'.  I had only seen one harness race... as a kid.  All I remember were the long barns with stalls the horses where sometimes kept in.  The smell of the barns and the spectators as they smoked and drank beer.  Again, really, I was asked to draw something I had not seen.




I did my best, and this was the result.

Then it happened again at Disney World, when a man was looking over my paintings and asked if I had a shrimp! My mind scanned all I knew about 'shrimp' and all I cam up was already prepared shrimp! I really didn't know what they looked like!! I smiled at him and said, "No.  But I can paint you one tonight!"  He said if it was no bother, that would be great!




I studied the shrimp, and I drew 2.  One a bit abstract (bottom) and one a little more realistic.  He chose the realistic one.  After he bought it, he showed me a picture of him on his boat with a catch of shrimp.  

The lesson I learned - 
 look for the gems in things we might normally overlook...
 those things unseen. 



Thursday, July 13, 2017

First Show In Disney World!!



Mickey is bagged up and ready to GO!



And Minnie too!!

This weekend (July 15 and 16, 2017) I will be selling my artwork inside
 Walt Disney World's Coronado Springs Resort!  
So, of course, I had to draw a few 
Mickey and Minnies for the show inside their home: 





I am very excited to be apart of this arts and crafts event
 in one of the most magical places in the world!  




ATC = Artist Trading Cards


An ATC is for Artists and Crafters to trade with each other.  On the front they could have any design or embellishment that the artist wishes to adorn their card with.  These cards are approximately the size of a playing card.


There are also some trading cards by artists known as ACEO; which stands for Art Card Originals and Editions.  The only real difference between the two is that the ACEO's started out as these miniture works of art for sale.  Eventually now, the two seem to have melded into one artwork with two names.  




On the back of eather of these cards, is where the artist puts their contact information.  Many artists, myself included, like to trade these as business cards with other artists or sell them.  My current price is $3 each, which is a common going rate throughout the marketplace.




The picture above shows how I have attached
 my business card on the back of my ATC.





These are my ATCs.  

If you have ATCs I would love to see them
 and hear if you sell, trade or both 
with your miniature creations!!


 
 

 

Tuesday, June 20, 2017

Inspired By Dean Watts


I would like to introduce you to a master stain glass maker, Dean Watts.  His contact is: http://www.deansstainedglass.com/ .  With written permission from him, I was given the right to paint his work - duplicating it completely or adapting it to my style.  Of course, I changed things here and there but not enough to drift too far from his work.





Dean is from Gulf Shores, Alabama and has been working in creating these stunning designs for 35 years.  Each piece of art is crafted by him personally.  Many people who commission his work offer suggestions or even sketches of their ideas.  Together they work out the best layout for the stained glass and what turns out is nothing less than stunning works of art!



I am attracted to much of his work and will enjoy painting more!  

I hope you enjoy this blog and other coming like it.  All these paintings are done in Acrylic Paint, all outlined in Ink.  Watercolor was used in the bottom painting a little.  All paintings are 8 X 10, signed and give credit to Dean Watts on back.

Thank you Dean!

Sunday, June 18, 2017

Flowers in a Series



 I feel in love with what I thought was a beautiful stained glass image of poppies from Brenda Henning.  But what I found out was these graceful flowers were a quilt patter (from master quilt maker Brenda Henning) that looks like stained glass!!! WOW!!

I wanted to paint these poppies... then I found more:




Like this stunning Sunflower! 
So, I called Mrs. Henning and asked if I could paint her treasures.  She responded, “Sure!  Knock your socks off!”


You can find her original work on her website:   http://www.bearpawproductions.com/index.php .

My paintings are not exact duplicate... I feel every artist has their own style which they need to express. Still, I wanted to stay very close so anyone can see the resemblance. 


All of the paintings in this series are painted on heavy 140 pound paper with acrylic-metallic paints, lined in ink and measure 8 X 10.  All are framed.


Mrs. Henning's series has 4, I added one more: The Double Sunflower!


Originally, her double sunflower was a table runner, which is also quilted!  

Many thanks to Brenda Henning for permission to paint this series and more!  

Next, I plan to introduce you to more artists, through my paintings.

As always, these paintings are for sale.  They are all framed, but on back of each painting is a note of appreciation to Brenda Henning and their number in my series of 5.   

Thank you and enjoy!
 PJ

pjmartin2000@gmail.com
 

The Start of the Red Hat Ladies!



This was my first Red Hat Lady, Titled: 'Lady in Green Glasses'.  She is brightly painted with acrylic paint on a stretched canvas.  One of the things I like best about this painting is the texture I added to her hat.


This lady is relaxing under some kind of palm-bush on the beach... or at least that is how I see it.  You can also imagine the palm further down the beach, but I like the thought of the palm branches gently tickling her toes!

This picture is done in Acrylic paints, outlined with ink and on 140 lb paper.  She is framed.

If you see anything you like, or have suggestions of what you would like to see... just send me a note at:  pjmartin2000@gmail.com.

Thanks!!

Monday, June 12, 2017

Art Became My Saving Grace!


This small mandala was created in the summer of '16 in a black sketch book. 

The short story, of a long one, is that my love for all the arts started at birth but fell to the wayside in making way for the needs of a growing family.  Then, many years later, it became my saving grace!

I am now the sole caretaker of my mother who has Alzheimer's.  Being a caregiver is very stressful.  It is also stressful as well as confusing for the person suffering from Alzheimer's and/or dementia.  I have found that during this transition, for all involved,  doing a artwork helps a great deal! (I will tell mom's story and share her artwork another time.)

Before I discovered this need for an outlet, I got very sick while taking care of mom.  I didn't even realize how bad I was until the doctors wanted me to stay in the hospitable! 


I remember my dad telling me repeatedly how when he and mom where in school, they had to draw circles over and over, so they would have nice penmanship. In much the same exercise,  I started with an ink pens and a black Sharpie and drew circles in a little sketchbook.





I soon found an art form called 'Zentangle', and started incorporating what I learned from websites and YouTube tutorials.  My circles started to evolve.


I mixed the Zentangle designs with my doodles and called my new artwork, 'Zen-Doodle'.  (I found out later, other people were using the same phrase.) I put a book of my designs together, like the two above and below. (But it was never published.)  This was the time of the explosion of the  'Adult Coloring' books.  I gave many of my coloring pages to a local children's hospitable.


                     
My sketchbooks started filling up with miniature, mosaic-type of drawings.







Years later... I still carry sketch books (the one below is black - soooo fun!).  I still doodle.  
And I still say art is my saving grace... for me and mom! 


(My mom... her first watercolor of prints she traced! Amazing!)