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Perry S. Martin
USA
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“The idea I can create an image that just jumps off the canvas is meditative for me.”
Perry Martin began drawing from an early age. His mother often thought that keeping his hands busy with art would prevent him from getting into trouble. He loved observing the world and translating his visions onto paper. He did not like following rules and had no fun during art time.
Manhattan Pier | Acrylic
$300
24 X 36
When I first came to LA I found myself needing to draw. I snapped a picture of the pier and did a line drawing. I wanted to explore that image with a full palette instead of black and white.
Growing up in Ohio, during holidays and summer vacations he occasionally visited Brunswick, Georgia, where his father hailed from. During these visits, the artist developed a deep love for the ocean. It seemed big and what was beyond the horizon was exciting. Standing on the shore brought him inner peace and a sense of belonging. Fascinated by Jacques Cousteau, he dreamed of becoming an Oceanographer, capturing the creatures he discovered on the beach in his drawings.
Zuma Beach | Acrylic
$300
24 X 36
I ran the Malibu triathlon in 2018 on this beach. It seemed so big and an impossible dream at the time. Impressionism worked well from the picture I painted from allowing the viewer to fill in the blanks. A suggestion of an idea if you will.
As a young man, Perry joined the US Navy and traveled the world, finding solace on the open ocean. No matter the location, the sight of the vast sea always brought him tranquility.
“My work was satisfying but I needed more.”
Upon arriving in Los Angeles eight years ago, the artist took a drawing class and began to do more with his work. Starting with pencils and paper, he created line drawings with a sense of depth. Gradually, he explored the use of pastels, following his mother's artistic example.
13 BOATS | Acrylic On Canvas
$300
24 X 36
The process for this painting was long. Each ship was painted in one sitting per ship so as to create some individual energy. I wanted them to look like their own moorings. Not the same ship with just different color hulls.
One sunrise morning I caught this view. There was a storm cloud mixed in with the sun. I tried to capture the sun reflecting on the clouds and the sun peeking through the palm trees.
Angela Mesa | Acrylic
$300
24 X 36
His work was satisfying, but he felt the need to expand his capabilities. He took a watercolor class and that opened possibilities that allowed him to start working at making impressions instead of just shapes and shades of his subject.
“The idea of putting pencil to paper and being able to travel anywhere I liked was exciting."
“Every shore excited me and gave me inner peace just looking off to the horizon and no matter where I was the ocean always gave me a sense of peace and calmness just looking at it.”
Taking up watercolor as a new medium opened doors to further artistic exploration. It required planning, and working on sections due to the drying time, which introduced a meditative approach to his process. Although Pastels were the color palette he liked it was limiting for him. He could control what he put on canvas, but could not create the impression he saw in his mind. Nonetheless, he longed for something more, seeking to translate his mind's impressions onto the canvas.
Waves | Acrylic
$300
24 X 36
I had painted many beach and oceans views but having a neighbor that is a lifelong surfer I took the challenge to make the ocean come alive. Waves have many parts and making them move on a canvas was my goal. I got his approval.
In pursuit of this artistic fulfillment, Perry Martin ventured into acrylics, which initially proved challenging. He had taken the shapes and shades of his previous work but was not able to make it work. Then he recalled his mother's words. She had advised him to paint what he saw. On a whim, he did that and this proved truly fulfilling for him.
GREEN APPLE SEAS | Acrylic on Canvas
$300
24 X 36
The Counting Crows have a song with the Lyrics of "Perfect Blue Buildings Beside a Green Apple Sea" and this is my tribute to that song.
With the transition to acrylic paint, his work took on a much broader subject and the larger format allowed him to go anywhere. The frustration of limited colors and brush strokes was gone. He now had an extensive palette, enabling him to bring his artistic visions to life.
Last fall I read that they were going to take down the large sculpture on Venice Beach. I wanted to paint it before it went away. There are many layers of this painting. There are elements in front of and behind each other. I had to paint one layer at a time to get the 3D effect.
Venice Beach Sculpture | Acrylic On Canvas
$300
24 X 36
“I remembered what my mother had said ‘Paint what you see’ and on a whim, I did just that."
9 PALMS & 3 BIRDS | Acrylic on Canvas
$300
24 X 36
Sunsets are so fun to paint. The colors that come from the mixture of sun and ocean are never ending. I love capturing the end of the day.
Each stroke of the brush or palette knife became a meditative experience, allowing Perry to paint vivid images that transported him to fond memories. His painting now offered a journey back in time, evoking emotions from the moments when he had been in those places.
I found a place to shoot a sunrise over the water here on the west coast. The view was amazing.
FOXTAIL SUNRISE | Acrylic on Canvas
$300
24 X 36
Through his paintings, he travels back in time when he was at that spot and had seen the image. His artworks capture the essence of moments and locations which has a deep emotional element for him.
Cruising the 405 |Acrylic on Canvas
$300
24 X 36
This view was on my way home from work. LA traffic for a man from Ohio might seem daunting but I love it. When I looked closer at the picture, I saw a large cruising sailboat on a trailer headed north. I needed to capture my delight and amusement of the image.
“I had a complete rainbow at the tip of my brush or knife.”
Perry S. Martin
@psmpaints
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