"Beautifully Broken", Original Mixed Media/Assemblage Painting by Colorado Artist, Donna L. Martin

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 and easy...to place a bid, all you have to do is comment!  This is a great way to own an original piece of art for a great price.

You can also check out my website.

Or, follow me on Facebook and Instagram.

"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/

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“Wonder”, Original Mixed Media Painting by Colorado Artist, Donna L. Martin

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

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“The Road Less Traveled”, Original Mixed Media Painting by Colorado Artist, Donna L. Martin

"The Road Less Traveled"

The finished piece!

I had been wanting to create an elephant in mixed media for quite a while.  I have been admiring Tracy Verdugo's work and I love the elephants that she creates, so that was the inspiration for this piece.  I was actually fortunate enough to be attend one of her workshops a couple of years ago...it was magical!  

This is how it started.  I gessoed a piece of 20 X 20 cradle board.  Then I added texture with molding paste and stencils.  I also added some molding paste to the elephant's trunk and head.  I had some textured paper that I love and decided to add some of that to her ears.  I then gessoed over the molding paste and the paper on her ears.

Here you can see I started adding some paint.  I used Golden's Quinacridone Nickel Azo Gold and Burnt Orange.  I'm all about the Turquoise lately, so I threw that in too.

Now for the scary part...starting on the elephant.  I had her sketched out and I started adding some paint.  I mixed Paynes Gray, White, and Anthraquinone Blue, and a little of the Turquoise to get a blue-gray color.  I wanted her to tie in with my background.  It needed more darks, so I added some Van Dyke Brown.

Here I started adding some of the Van Dyke Brown to the textured area in the middle.  I didn't want it to be one solid brown color, so I added some water to fade out some of the brown tones in the middle of the texture.

This part of the piece had me stumped for days and days.  I could not figure out what color to do the bottom of this piece.  It had such nice, nice texture from using the stencil and I didn't want to mess it up.  Finally, I gave in and told myself "who cares if I mess it up, I'm just doing what I like".  So, there again, I used Turquoise and smudged in some of the Anthraquinone Blue.

I had some gorgeous, gorgeous paper that tied into the colors behind my little elephant.  I tore out a border and added it directly under the brown textured border for a pop of color and to tie in with my background.

I also felt like the bottom of this needed to be distressed and not so "in your face" with the blues.  I took some alcohol ink and some of the Van Dyke brown and punched it in under the paper border.  Then I hit it with a spray bottle of water to make it run into the blue.  Fun!!  

So just when I think I'm done, done, my husband, who is an Engineer by the way, takes a look at her.  He points out that her head is too much of a globe shape and that her tusk was going in the wrong direction.  As much as I hate to admit it, he was totally right.  Had to make some slight changes, but here she is.  She is all finished and I LOVE HER!  The only thing left to do is finish her off with resin.

I titled this piece "The Road Less Traveled" because that's how I want to live my life.  I never want to be afraid to take risks and take chances...sort of what I did with this piece.  It can be scary for sure, but let go and see where it takes you. You may totally surprise yourself!

This piece is sold, but please feel free to contact me with any questions, comments.  I would love to hear from you!

saltlightwatercolors@yahoo.com

www.donnamartinfineart.com

https://www.facebook.com/donnamartinfineart

"These are the Moments", Original Mixed Media/Encaustic Painting by Colorado Artist, Donna L. Martin

These Are the Moments

“Paradise has never been about places.  It exists in moments.  In connection.  In flashes across time.” – Victoria Erickson

Seems like in this life, we get those rare and beautiful moments of just pure joy.  I was reminiscing about one of those beautiful moments when I created this painting.  I embedded a photo that I took off the coast of Oregon into the background.  I embellished it with paints and inks and added another small tree.  The background also has a portion of an old deed embedded into it along with some fabric and painted papers.  The whole piece was then finished with a layer of encaustic wax.

This painting is sold, but commissions are available.  Feel free to send me an email with any questions or comments!

www.donnamartinfineart.com

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"Peace Among the Trees", Original Mixed Media/Encaustic Painting by Colorado Artist, Donna L. Martin

"Peace Among the Trees"

This is my newest piece.  It was created after learning about a dear friend who was recently diagnosed with a devastating form of cancer.  Sometimes, after news like that, there are no words.  There was and is so much emotion and so many stages of "grief" after getting the news.  My friend is strong and courageous.  Her roots are planted deep and she will fight this with all she has.  She is walking through this battle with grace and fortitude.  She is truly my hero and my inspiration.  

 

This piece was created with may layers of painted papers, paints, and inks.

It was finished with a layer of beautiful, dreamy, encaustic wax.

This is a small 8 X 8 piece, which I have finished with a simple black floater frame.  It is available.  You can send me an email here with any questions, comments, or if you are interested in purchasing.

You can check out more of my work at www.donnamartinfineart.com

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"Strength of Trees", Original Mixed Media Painting by Colorado Artist, Donna L. Martin

Strength of Trees

“A tree with strong roots laughs at storms”.  – Malay Proverb

The strength of trees.  Roots running deep into the dark soil.  Branches reaching upward into the light.  Ever changing, ever growing.  Leaves budding out into the warmth of spring.  Green and vibrant, fluttering in the soft summer breezes.  Bursting into vibrant hues of oranges and yellows, even as they are beginning their descent from the branches they’ve called home.  We can learn a lot from the strength of trees.  Our roots produce the branches, stretching out into the sun, craving the warmth and the light.   Those branches could almost represent the different paths of our life journey.  They hold all the beautiful leaves, the experiences and memories of our lives.  The leaves almost seems to remind us that our lives can withstand the winds of change, and although different, each is beautiful in its own season.

This piece was created on a RedeemWood recycled wooden pallet.  The trunks are heavily textured and the leaves were created with heavy watercolor paper.  It is finished with a beautiful resin coating.

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

Be sure and check out my website, www.donnamartinfineart.com.

Follow me on Facebook and Instagram for glimpses of Works in Progress and the latest finished pieces!

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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

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

"Seasons"

I thought these words were beautiful and a perfect inspiration for this piece.  “I wonder if the snow loves the trees and fields, that it kisses them so gently? And then it covers them up snug, you know, with a white quilt; and perhaps it says, "Go to sleep, darlings, till the summer comes again.”

― Lewis Carroll, Alice's Adventures in Wonderland & Through the Looking-Glass

This was an intuitive piece.  The only thing I knew for sure was that I wanted three trees.  It was created with layers of paper, paint, and inks.

This piece is sold, but commissions are welcome.  Drop me an email with questions or comments...I would love to hear from you!

saltlightwatercolors@yahoo.com

www.donnamartinfineart.com

Follow me on Facebook and Instagram:

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

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"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/

“The Road Less Traveled”, Original Mixed Media Painting by Colorado Artist, Donna L. Martin

"The Road Less Traveled"

I titled this piece "The Road Less Traveled" because that's how I want to live my life.  I never want to be afraid to take risks and take chances...sort of what I did with this piece.  It can be scary for sure, but let go and see where it takes you. You may totally surprise yourself!

This piece is sold, but please feel free to contact me with any questions, comments. I would love to hear from you!

saltlightwatercolors@yahoo.com

www.donnamartinfineart.com

https://www.facebook.com/donnamartinfineart

“Poppy Love Letters”, Original Mixed Media Painting by Colorado Artist, Donna L. Martin

"Poppy Love Letters"

This painting sure didn't end up like it started out!  In the beginning, it had bright pink flowers at the top and bright green grass at the bottom.  I toned down the flowers and the grass and decided I wanted poppies as the focal point. I added some painted, torn paper and some twine.  This one sat on the easel for months before I decided what to do with it.  Sometimes you just have to sit with something until you figure out where it wants to go!

This piece measures 12 X 12 and was done on a 1.5" cradle board.  It found a home in Chicago.  

Please feel free to send me an email with questions, comments...I would love to hear from you!

saltlightwatercolors@yahoo.com

You can follow me on Instagram:

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

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"Forgotten Girl", by Colorado Artist, Donna L. Martin

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 were just a kid.  

I saw the humiliation and brokenness you felt when your own father kicked you to the ground and called you "stupid" in front of your whole family. My heart broke for you when not one came over to help you up or rushed to your side. They didn't "interfere" in those days.

I was there when you were pregnant at 16, trying to hide it from your parents and you felt so alone.  I cried with you when a few months later, you miscarried your precious baby girl.  You grew up way too fast and knew a loss most your age couldn't even fathom.

I still see you.  Most of the time, you still feel like you don't "fit in".  You are still "the quiet one".  Sometimes I see your longing to conform to the world, but you aren't of this world.  And it's okay.

Because of all of these things, it gave you a heart for the broken, for the people that feel alone, for the forgotten.  Because of your stories, you have the gift of compassion and empathy.  I see the passion, the joy, the gratitude you have for the life you are living right now, in this moment, because you know it hasn't always been this way.  I see the dreams you work tirelessly for and are beginning to realize, because you have walked through the fire and you have never given up.  

Forgotten girl, I see you and although you don't see it, you are perfect in all of your many imperfections.  

This was a very personal and intense painting for me.  It was very different for me and I painted her, reflecting all of my feelings and emotions.  I'm sure some of you feel the same way as forgotten girl. Please don't think you are forgotten. You are loved and everything you are going through will shape you into the person you were meant to be.  Keep dreaming and never ever give up.

This piece is was done with charcoal, gesso, pencil, and acrylic.  It measures 16 X 16 X 1.5.  It will be available in an auction I am participating in in late September, early October.

Please send me an email with any questions or comments...I would love to hear from you!

www.donnamartinfineart.com

saltlightwatercolors@yahoo.com

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

Original Mixed Media Abstract Painting, “Take Heart through the Fire ", by Colorado Artist, Donna L. Martin

"Take Heart Through the Fire"

This is an original mixed media abstract piece.  It was done with texture paste and a stencil, bits of paper that I rusted, acrylics, and a rusted metal "heart" that I found on the trail!  It is finished with a beautiful epoxy resin.

This piece is sold, but commissions are welcome.

For questions or comments, please feel free to contact me at:

saltlightwatercolors@yahoo.com

To learn more about the process of this painting from start to finish, view my blog.

http://donnamartinfineart.blogspot.com/

http://donnamartinfineart.com/

“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 last year.  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.  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/

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

"Truly, Madly, Deeply... Love", Original Mixed Media Painting by Colorado Artist, Donna L. Martin

"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 bottom of each piece, I added an antique chandelier crystal...well, because I just love some bling and it seemed like that was just what this piece needed.

This piece now has a home in England, but commissions are welcome.  

For questions or comments, or if you are interested in purchasing, please send me an email at:

saltlightwatercolors@yahoo.com

donnamartinfineart.com