"Beauty in the Brokenness", Original Mixed Media Painting by Colorado Artist, Donna L. Martin

Beauty in the Brokenness

“There is nothing beautiful about the wreckage of a human being.  There is nothing pretty about the damage, about pain, about heartache.  What is beautiful is their strength, their resilience, their fortitude as they display an ocean of courage when they pick through the wreckage of their life to build something beautiful, brand new, against every odd that is stacked against them.”  - Nikita Gill 

We don’t always see it in ourselves, but beauty truly can come from the brokenness.

This piece was created with layers of paper, paint, and acrylic inks.  I also added some modeling paste in certain areas on the painting, which gives it a bit of raised texture.

This piece is 20 X 20 X 1.5, created on a thick, gallery wrapped canvas.  It is available.  Please email me with questions or comments at:  saltlightwatercolors@yahoo.com. 

You can also follow me on Facebook and Instagram:

https://www.facebook.com/donnamartinfineart/

https://www.instagram.com/donnamartinfineart/

"Go Your Own Way", Original Mixed Media/Encaustic Painting by Colorado Artist, Donna L. Martin

Go Your Own Way

Everyone said, “Follow me”.  It was expected, and for a while, she did what she was told.  This was not the path she wanted to take.  She did not want to fly in conformity with all the others.  There were mysteries to be solved and adventures to be had.  And then it happened, like a dream that whispered her name in the middle of the night.  She noticed that not only were her own wings beautiful, but they were strong.  They were not like everyone else’s.  A still small voice inside of her nudged her to try out her own unique and beautiful wings.  That voice told her it was a good thing to go her own way.  So she did.  And she never looked back.

 

This piece began with fabric from a vintage napkin.  I loved this photo that I had taken of a tree in Oregon and decided to embed it in the piece.  I also added bits of paper and paint.  At the last minute, I decided I wanted to add the symbolism of the butterflies.  Of course, one of the butterflies just would not conform and line up with the others!  Perfectly imperfect.  A layer of dreamy encaustic wax finished this piece.

This piece is sold, but commissions are welcome.  Feel free to contact me at saltlightwatercolors@yahoo.com with any questions or comments.

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"Free to Dream", Original Mixed Media/Assemblage Painting by Colorado Artist, Donna L. Martin

"Free to Dream"

This is a piece I completed for an art show that I did a couple of years ago.  The wings were made with molding paste and sea glass.  I used an old antique wooded piece for the middle to tie the two wings together.  I found a rusty old piece of hardware and added the butterfly to the middle.  I also added the words "Free to Dream" on the lower portion of the wooden piece in the middle and an old antique chandelier teardrop to the bottom of the wooden piece.

This piece measures approximately 18" wide and about 13" at the highest point in the middle.  The wings are finished with an epoxy resin coating, which really makes the colors "pop".

This one has a new home up in the mountains now, but I'm open to commissions.

I would love to hear your feedback, so please email me with any comments or if you are interested in a commissioned piece!

saltlightwatercolors@yahoo.com

http://donnamartinfineart.com/

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"For Every Thing There is a Season", Original Mixed Media Painting by Colorado Artist, Donna L. Martin

For Every Thing There is a Season

For this piece, I began thinking about the different “seasons” in our lives.    I was thinking about the teenage girl who feels broken and out of place.  I thought about the young mother who feels overwhelmed and questions everything she is doing every day in raising her young children.  I thought about the middle-aged woman, with an empty nest and an empty heart, questioning her next move in life.  Our lives are constantly changing and evolving…moving through seasons.  None of these seasons last forever, even though it may feel like an eternity.  I believe we have to lean forward, ease into the transitions, no matter how painful.  This is how we can come out on the other side.  This piece changed and evolved, much like the seasons in our lives.  I added the words from Ecclesiastes 3, “For every thing there is a season and a time to every purpose under heaven”.  

This piece was created with many layers of papers, inks, and paint to give it a rich texture and depth.  The leaves were individually painted and torn from rice paper.  The words were taken from vintage magazines and hymnals.  There are hints of iridescent paint, so it “glows” when the light bounces off of it.  It is framed in a simple black floater frame.

This piece is sold, but commissions are welcome.  You can contact me at:

saltlightwatercolors@yahoo.com

www.donnamartinfineart.com

instagram.com/donnamartinfineart

www.facebook.com/donnamartinfineart

"Sisters", Original Mixed Media Painting by Colorado Artist, Donna L. Martin

Sisters

They weren’t born sisters, but growing up in the same crazy family, there was always an unspoken bond between them.  Each knew the family “stories”, the good and the not so good.  No words were ever needed, they just instinctively knew each other’s hearts.  One look in her eyes, and one knew the other was broken.  Each was there for the other, unconditionally, without judgement, without harsh words, without cutting glances, or condemnation.  They were each other’s comfort in the storms….a soft place to land and a strong shoulder to rest a head upon.  Comfort, like a soft, gentle rain on a summer’s day.  Comfort like the warm glow coming from a window on a chilly night.  They were each other’s “home”.  They could tell each other their wildest dreams for the future and the other would believe without question that these wild dreams would come true.  The wild sisters would giggle about silly things that no one else would understand.  It was that unspoken language they shared.  No, they weren’t “born” sisters but they share a love that transcends the moon and the stars.  They are wild sisters, now and forever.

   

This piece began with a drawing I did of the sisters with charcoal and graphite.  I added just the slightest bits of watercolor to their cheeks and lips and also the flowers.  The leaves in their hair were created with modeling paste, so the texture is raised.  I also added text to their dresses.

This piece is sold, but I would love to hear from you!  You can reach me at:

saltlightwatercolors@yahoo.com

https://donnamartinfineart.com/

https://www.facebook.com/donnamartinfineart

https://www.instagram.com/donnamartinfineart/

Strength and Vulnerability, Original Mixed Media Painting by Colorado Artist, Donna L. Martin

Strength and Vulnerability

Trees are the perfect depiction of strength and vulnerability.  Of course they are strong and usually their roots run deep.  They are also prey to the wind, sun, drought, and disease.  Their branches can get broken, their leaves fall, but they still remain, standing strong.  Through the storms, their roots plant deeper.  They grow new branches and new leaves begin to form.  They grow stronger when they are at their weakest.  I think the same is true for us when walking through our lives.  “One day, in retrospect, the years of struggle will strike you as the most beautiful.” ― Sigmund Freud

  

This piece was created from many, many layers of paper, paint, inks, and modeling paste.  It was finished with touches of iridescent paint on the raised texture that resides around the painting.

This painting is sold, but commissions are welcome.  Please send me an email with any questions or comments...as always, I would love to hear from you!

saltlightwatercolors@yahoo.com

https://www.donnamartinfineart.com

https://www.instagram.com/donnamartinfineart/

https://www.facebook.com/donnamartinfineart/

"Beauty in the Brokenness", Original Mixed Media Painting by Colorado Artist, Donna L. Martin

Beauty in the Brokenness

“There is nothing beautiful about the wreckage of a human being.  There is nothing pretty about the damage, about pain, about heartache.  What is beautiful is their strength, their resilience, their fortitude as they display an ocean of courage when they pick through the wreckage of their life to build something beautiful, brand new, against every odd that is stacked against them.”  - Nikita Gill 

We don’t always see it in ourselves, but beauty truly can come from the brokenness.

This piece was created with layers of paper, paint, and acrylic inks.  I also added some modeling paste in certain areas on the painting, which gives it a bit of raised texture.

This piece is 20 X 20 X 1.5, created on a thick, gallery wrapped canvas.  It is available.  Please email me with questions or comments at:  saltlightwatercolors@yahoo.com. 

You can also follow me on Facebook and Instagram:

https://www.facebook.com/donnamartinfineart/

https://www.instagram.com/donnamartinfineart/

"Cherish This Life", Original Mixed Media Painting by Colorado Artist, Donna L. Martin

"Cherish This Life"

We recently lost someone very special to us.  My Father-in-Law, Mikey, was Italian, to the core.  He grew up in North Denver, in what was known as little Italy.  He worked at an Italian Bakery for much of his life and he fought in WWII, in Normandy.  He knew the Italian Mob Bosses in Denver, worked hard to raise his family, and he loved to gamble in Vegas.  He was pretty good at it too. He also loved to go dancing.  He went dancing almost every Saturday night up until about 4 months ago.  

I know if we could talk to him again, he would tell us to live this life and appreciate it, because it is short.  As I've said before, this life is just a whisper of time.  So this is for you, Mikey, for a life well-lived and well-loved...we will cherish you and the life you lived forever.

This piece was created as a reminder to "Cherish This Life".  It was done with many layers of paint, inks, and painted paper.  The heart in the middle was cut from a vintage ceiling tile.  When the light catches it, you can see the hints of iridescent gold paint sprinkled throughout the painting.  The words, "Cherish This Life" are embedded into the painting.  It is framed in a gold and black floater frame.

www.donnamartinfineart

saltlightwatercolors@yahoo.com

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