Don Martin Artist - Iceland Landscape

Art Talk

Home

Don Martin

Canadian Artist
Don Martin

Biography

I was born in Hnausa, Manitoba in 1932 to Gudrun (nee Sigmundson) and Gunnlaugur Sigurdur Martin.

Icelandic was my first language until I went to school in the one room school at Hnausa. All through my school years I was always busy doodling and drawing when I should have been paying attention. In High School I had my first taste of painting with a paint by number oil painting set.

During the years that my children were growing up, I did the occasional pen and ink drawing, but did not paint again until l982 when I opened Harbour Hobbies at Gimli. I started stocking paints, canvases, brushes, etc., and on one cold day in that first winter when I had no customers I decided to try some painting. I have been at it ever since!

I am mostly self taught, although as a member of the Gimli Art Club I have attended workshops and have attended three sessions of the Arts West painting week held at the Riding Mountain Conference Center at Clear Lake. Shortly after I started painting, I sold my first canvas, and over the years I have sold paintings to visitors from all parts of the world.

I have received numerous Honourable Mention awards from the Icelandic Festival Art Show. I have visited Iceland in 1983, 1998 and in 2001, and I can recall vividly the feeling that I had the very first time I set foot on Icelandic soil, I felt as if I was Home at last.

In the summer of 2001 I was invited to have a solo exhibition at the Icelandic Emigration Center in Hofsos, Iceland. This was my first solo exhibition and a long-held dream come true. The exhibit was on for three weeks and was very well received by the local population as well as summer tourists and was 70% sold out.

For the last ten years I have taught the beginners acrylic class at the Gimli Art Club and I am currently serving as Chairperson of the Gimli Public Art Gallery Committee.The mandate of this Committee is to operate the local Gallery and to promote the appreciation of visual arts in our community.

Snaefellsness, Iceland - By Canadian Artist Don Martin

Valley of Colour - By Canadian Artist Don Martin

Kathie's Cottage - By Canadian Artist Don Martin

Click on a picture for a larger image and ordering information

A. Don Martin
P.O. Box 1705
Gimli, Manitoba R0C 1B0

Phone: (204) 642-5593
E-mail: admartin@mts.net

Return to Art In Canada´s Homepage Gallery

Home About - Members - Gallery - Marketing - Directory - Contact Us - Art Talk