MORE SHABBY CHIC

Bachelors Buttons in a Jam canning Jar.
5" by 7" framed to inner opening of 8" by 10"
shrinkwrapped inside. $25.00 at Fox Den


See more of Linda Martin's work at www.llmartin.com
or find out the latest news at: Linda's Art News

MY VERSION OF SHABBY CHIC

Bottles and Jars with mixed Flowers

I am selling this 9" by 12" watercolor painting
at Fox Den for $45.00
Its framed but wrapped with shrink wrap.

For years people have been decorating their second usually country homes with odd pieces of furniture and those old farm kitchen milk painted furniture. But this year I woke up out of my conservative stupor (meaning I’m slow to change when I already like something. It’s a trait Jackie O had.) And I suddenly figured out that if I painted everything I own white.. I mean the few pieces of furniture I have.. I would be right in style. Sorry, I am not going to paint my mom and dad’s little cherry table, that I use as my computer desk, white!

I have shabby chic stuff all over my house. Although I think we finally recycled the old chenille bead spreads so many times that the last use was dog towel. At one point it was a tent too.

Now I have discovered that yes those weird looking white and banana frames I bought at a yard sale actually can be of use with out repainting them! They are totally shabby chic. Hahaha I’m chic! Well in a shabby sort of way.

But guess what. I got this interesting thing happening. My art sales have been like a sailboat in a windless sea the last two months. So what the heck, when a client called me and asked me to paint some flowers.. Well I did it. And some little jars I have too. How funny I sold about 15 or so of them last weekend ( for an undisclosed amount of money) and she gave me a bunch of flowers from her garden. So, all week I have been painting flowers. My most challenging one has been the bachelor’s button so far. But matched up with those shabby chic frames and some glass jars they totally Rock!

See more of Linda Martin's work at: www.llmartin.com
Find out the latest news at: Linda's Art News

Jars and a Red Bowl Available: $35 plus S&H

Jars and Red Bowl

Available $35 plus S&H

The Three Bottles

Demonstrating Watercolors June 2006

This is the first time I have been able to demonstrate water colors in my booth. I could really use some more space to give people room to look and not feel intimidated by me sitting there but at least I can paint and people can watch. This was actually the last day I was out before I discovered I had pnumonia in June

I usually demonstraite watercolors at FoxDen the third Saturday a month.
On the table is a book of samplers.
Each one is original
They can be bought for between $3 and $5 unframed

See more of Linda Martin's work at: www.llmartin.com
or find out the latest news at: Linda's Art News

Animals!!!

These are the bread and butter of what I have been painting for the last two years. Pets, farm animals and foxes .. some deer. 5" by 7' go for $20 and the 4" by 6" size go for $15 each. I used to sell them with out matts or shrink wrapped but unfortunately right after valentines day 2006 people stopped buying them and started to steal them. Its really rough for some one like me who has so limited money to not make their rent or beable to buy art supplies because someone steals instead of buys it. I can resoulve it in my own mind though. I feel sort of sorry for people like that and feel they must be pretty desperate to steal from someone like me.

In June I expanded my space at Fox Den. Check it out! 

Buffalo Cow and Twins Paintings Available private treaty

This painting of a cow and twins is 18" by 24" polymer on canvas. Its not framed. You can buy this on directly from me for  $1200. 

This PaintingAvailable for $125.00 plus S& H

New Direction? Not really. But I was messing around painting buffalo and this watercolor came out. I dont actually paint ndn theme paintings but I do paint wild animals. This was fun. I am offering it through my booth at Fox Den for $125.00 Un- framed.

Where Have I been??? Juggling??

I am not a juggler! ( but my sister was once)

Well I have been so overwhelmed with all that has been going on that finally I had to turn off the bells on my phones to get some work done. I know its annoying people but have you ever tried to paint a continuous wash and keep it smooth and wet and be continually interrupted by phone calls about nothing much.

Social times gotta stay after hours!

Ok that’s the rub.. I’m an artist.. I don’t get social until all the work is done. And I don’t have all the work done until all the ideas in my head are completed to the physical realm. Not to mention I just spent 2 months struggling for existence because I had pneumonia. So most everyone had free access to me then but I don’t remember it hahaha.

I have to have peace and quiet when I work. ( well benign background sounds are ok.. music, fox news, cnn, WTOP, mash….I don’t have to think about them and they don’t require attention.

I don’t understand why anyone would be offended because I work like this. Yet and alas….

Still I’ve managed so far this year to complete about 600 paintings and its only August. Well ok.. most of them were studies. And I haven’t even started the oils yet. But I am going to continue working like this until the end of October, God willing. Or I run out of materials.

And that means keeping up with my blog a few times a week. Because my writing has suffered. NO MORE….

Check out Linda's Website: http://www.llmartin.com
Find out Linda's Latest Art News

This is the 4th painting for Warrenton UMC lent Celebration. This one is Called Bringing the Sacrifice of Praise" I was told there should have been a tamborine.. well I ran out of room. When the funds are avaiable and I begin the big paintings I will add the tamborine as well as a few other things. The paintings can be as big as 3' by 4'. I am hopeful. Always hopeful 

close up of the writing on #3 

Picture #3 in " The Way of the Cross Leads Home" .. the verse is " if my people will humbly pray I will hear them and heal their land." 

Painting #2 in " The Way of The Cross Leads Home" 

This painting Available for $135 plus S&H

Ewe and twins. Another of the spring 2006 collections of paintings


Contact@llmartin.com for more info

This is one of my newest Paintings. Quarterhorse mare with palamino foal. Spring setting of course. This is one of the nearly 200 brand new paintings that will be at Fox Den Antiques The first Weekend of march and offered for Sale. Our Spring Fling is comming up the weekend of March 25th.  

Details, details: "The Only Way"

Detail of "The Only Way"

This is a pencil sketch on 180 lb smooth drawing paper and colored or tinted with watercolors. About 16" by 20 " unframed.

I really do think I have more work to do on this. Eventually God Willing and when the support comes it will be an oil painting. I have several paintings that must be done by March 3rd. But they wont be done in oil. Soon and very soon. we shall see.... "The coming of the Lord of Corse."

"The Way of The Cross" ... Religious paintings??? Me? Moi?..Naw.. painting in the Spirit!

I sometimes wonder what I have gotten myself into.I feel compelled to paint from the call to artists issued by the church im forever visiting yet have nearly committed to thrice. Each time something happens to stop me. Snow? Health? The pastor's assistant MIA! Some one wanted me to do this hahaha. God.

The theme is "The Way of the Cross Leads Home" Well I prayed about it and God has given me verses and images. I feel so unworthy to do this. I can only trust that God himself blesses these weak attempts of mine at what he inspires. I've never been through Lent before I was always at home or doing something else with the family. This year I suppose I will be here and this is the result. The first drawiing. The words of Jesus: "NO one can come to the Father except by me"

Oliver-grey is grey is gray?

My latest commission- Oliver is an african domestic cat and really kewl. Most of his stripes are shadows of gray. He was very challenging to paint.


For more information on about the art of L.L.Martin go to www.llmartin.com

Framed!!! Finally

check this out!! This was my christmas card in 1996. Its one of my favorite paintings and I still sell it as a print. I keep it at the end of my hall but it never had a frame. My friend's husband had been collecting all these old frames. They were mostly 16" by 20" plus a few 18" by 24" both are standard sizes for canvases that I use. The fox is actually a 16" by 20" Betty from Culpeper Antiques suggested that I paint the frames to match the colors in the paintings like Maxfield Parish used to do. I had a totally duh moment.. I knew all about Maxfield Parish. My buddy in art school was seriously wowed by him and shared alot of the work about him. Talk about things you learned but forgot. Well here is my first attempt since my reawakening. It looks totally awsome. The only thing that would look better would be maybe some gold filigree????

For more information about the art of L.L.Martin go to www.llmartin.com

Fox Den- Open House for Christmas

Ok its a small booth only 3' by 5 feet but I make the rent and sell continiously every month. Its all bread and butter and the other dealers there are wonderful people. The only thing we need is more traffic then I can expand to a full size booth and a perminant place to paint each month when we have show case weekends the first of the month.
For more information about the art of L.L.Martin go to www.llmartin.com

Another View of Fox Den

Another view of my Fox Den booth on Open House weekend Dec 3 and 4th 2005

For more information on about the art of L.L.Martin go to www.llmartin.com

Grandma's Card Tree:Decorations

Grandma's Christmas Card holder from the 1960's makes a great way to display hand painted ornaments. This is the display for the open house at Fox Den Antiques.
For more information on about the art of L.L.Martin go to www.llmartin.com

Betty's booth at Culpeper Antiques. She how she has the paintings hanging so that when you approach the booth you can see the reflection of the paintings on the oppsitewalls. Very Kewl I think! Betty has a lot of really good ideas! 

My new profile pic!

me and nika


Sometimes Nika has the cutest face; other times she looks like she is barely submitting to the degradation... hahaha! I think she would rather be playing ball here. This picture was taken last week so it's recent. Like how come my gray hair never shows in these... the camera is kind!!!!!! Favor Favor Favor!!!

For more information on about the art of L.L.Martin go to www.llmartin.com or Linda's Art News

Nika at 9 months

Nika 9 months
Nika remains such a wonderful blessing Cat. brought to me at a time when God was not only teaching about his generosity and amazing grace but he was and still is begining to restore everything I lost through time, rebellion and theft. Nika has opal eyes, very light blue with flecks of gold that nearly appear white but arent. She is very indepent but needs a cuddle at least once a day. And I do mean a cuddle. I have to pick her up and hold her like a little baby and she wraps her paws around my arm as i stroke her face and murmmer about how wonderful she is. She purrs and purrs and unless Nikki comes into the room she would allow me to hold her like that for a continuing lenght of time.
Dont we all need that? To at least once a day hear how wonderful we are. Its refuge, encouragement, intimacy, helps in positive growth. My time with God is like that each day. I go before him; I am awed by his perfection his love of me; his grace and his power over life and death; and I kneel before him and he takes my hand and lifts me into his lap and holds me, wipes away my tears, listens to everything as if I was the most important person in the entire word and when I am comforted and reassured and affirmed by him he lets me get from his lap and allows me to play and sing and dance at his feet and he laughs with me and enjoys my company. this is a blessing of those who are servents of God. We go to him anytime. Daily, many times daily, all day long.. repentent and fully his and he never rejects us. And we know our importance and that he delights in us.
Nika has a game.. its one only a few special cats have that there must be an apptitude for. Nikki doesnt understand it and thinks its weird. And he trys to stay out of the way when its being played. Nika likes to play fetch. She is passionate about it but not obcessed. And once a day she brings me a crumpled piece of paper and tosses it at my feet repeatedly until i throw it for her. And I laugh and throw it and challenge her and delight in the game.

I looked up her name when I decided to call her Nika. It means belonging to God. She is the first animal I've ever had that I have decidated back to God. I love her with a special foundness .. unique from NIkki but she is for God's purposes and what he decides for her I will do.

I love this photo and how the light makes her look so romantic. Someday I might actually paint it.
For more information on about the art of L.L.Martin go to www.llmartin.com or Linda's Art News