Chas Martin: Sculpture - Masks - Paintings

Art is a path of discovery.
Artwork is a record of a mindful journey.

Technology touches us everywhere. Mostly it interferes with our balance. Visualization is the first step toward realization of the true path – toward recovering balance and doing what we really need to do.

Visualization precedes reality. Exploring visual imagery is a meditative process that shapes shapes our experiences.

My work has always been concept driven. Images that attract me come from books, dreams, conversation, meditation and a mashup of synchronous experiences throughout my day.

My paintings, sculptures and masks are inspired by primal symbols, petroglyphs, dreams and by questioning everything I see. Everything! I explore archetypal characters and symbolic situations. These are part of a continuous visualization/realization of my own personal mythology. I don't know where it leads. It’s a meditative state where I live in wonder.

My explorations include varied materials, sketches, wire forms, clay, photos, manipulation of photos, more sketches, watercolor paintings, acrylic paintings, collage, assemblage and sculpture. Exploration on so many levels turns visualization into realization. I love living, breathing, manipulating and becoming the image as it draws my energy from the concept through reality.

Influences

I have been influenced by many different artists throughout my career for many different reasons. Some of these artists, writers and thinkers have inspired me with their techniques, others with their imaginations, and some with their expansive perception of reality. These are some of the most influential in no particular order.