The French Impressionists broke with tradition by attempting to capture fleeting impressions of light and form in a direct expressive manner. They were giving voice to their direct response to nature and the world around them in a way never before considered real art. Although artists for centuries have painted out doors, these field studies were used in the studio as reference for more refined and finished works. "I love to paint or draw directly from life, mostly outdoors. I discovered early that the quality of my art work is more vibrant and alive when I paint from life. Although I paint in either oils or pastels, my objective is the same; to observe and respond to how the world looks and feels in the moment. Painting or drawing from life can evoke a rather meditative connection to the world around us not normally experienced in our everyday lives. I assert that this experience is related to spiritual states evoked by quiet meditation, and that this 'connection' allows for observations of our world’s extraordinary beauty.” Born in upstate New York, Martin mostly grew up in the Midwest near Chicago and then St. Louis. His first real experience in art was a drawing class. "It changed how I looked at the world around me, it woke me up to the beauty that surrounds us." He received a Fine Arts Degree from the University of Arizona and later migrated to the San Francisco area where he discovered pastels and plein air Impressionist painting. His work was accepted in national juried exhibitions and he taught art classes at the Pacific Art League in Palo Alto, California. In 1990 he made his first trip to Kauai, Hawaii and was struck by the Island’s dramatic beauty. He moved to Kauai permanently in 1998. These days Martin can often be found painting his impressionist plein air works around Kauai and other Hawaiian islands. His work is shown in several galleries in Hawaii including Kilohana Galleries, The Artisan’s Room at the Kilohana Estate in Lihue on Kauai, Amy Lauren's Gallery in Hanapepe on Kauai, Christian Riso Fine Art in Koloa on Kauai and Maui Hands Galleries in Lahaina, Paia and Makawao on Maui. He participates and exhibits in the following arts organizations: Oil Painters of America Islanders – Hawaii Plein Air Painters Pastel Society of America Laguna Plein Air Painters Association Plein Air Painters of Hawaii – Signature Member Kauai Outdoor Painters Association Kauai Society of Artists