Marina Martin
Artist & Painter
About me.
I was born and raised in Russia. I was recognized for my talents in art at a very early age. Both my parents were artists, so I painted and drew pictures all the time. I started serious art studies when I was 10 years old; my classes were paid by the government. In the Soviet Union, art was supported. I was interested in fashion too, which led me try different carrier paths before I realized that art was my true passion.
I moved to the US in 1999, and a couple of years later, I started a fine art education at Mercer County College. Later, I transferred to the Fashion Institute of Technology (FIT) in NYC, where I was quite happy. In 2005, I graduated with a BFA with a major in fashion. I found a job in NYC where I commuted for about 2 hours one way every day. I liked it, but I was not happy. I missed the creative part of art, since fashion was too technical, and it made me too busy to have a family, so I quit my fashion career. I had to pause, spend time with my family, and think about my future.
I chose to become a full time professional artist. I started painting on a commission basis while working on my portfolio. I have worked with many different media and materials in the past, but I mostly like to paint with watercolors and acrylics. I taught art classes in a private school in Princeton for a couple of years while my own children were interested in taking classes there too.
I love what I do now. I get lost in the process of making art. I forget about the whole world; it makes me feel peaceful and happy. I hope this is what you feel when you look at my paintings. It’s known that paintings radiate the feelings of the artist who painted them. Every painting is so important to me so it’s quite hard to part with any of them, especially my animal paintings. I feel like they are getting adopted, just like a real animal would! But, it makes me feel good to know that my work is being loved and enjoyed by someone.