Charleston, West Virginia was the early home of artist Diana Martens. The soft hills, winding roads, and beautiful dense woods of her childhood years created memories that echo in her work today. Growing up in a home designed by her architect father and listening to music played by her musician-composer mother, Diana was immersed in a creative environment rich in the arts. The impressionable young woman drew her inspiration from the visual and musical stimulation of her formative years.
Years of study in many disciplines at Mount Union College led the artist to the ultimate choice of the materials she works with today; she has refined those materials and tools to reflect her own individual forms of expression.
Diana selected the surfaces of solid clear acrylic spheres and half spheres as the perfect "canvases" for her unique designs; both shapes are perfect, she feels, "to celebrate our connectedness to the universe and each other."
She carefully hand etches her designs directly on the surface of the spheres. The sphere shape magically enhances the design as it dances with the patterns visible on the opposite side. The half spheres offer an enchantment all their own -- as one looks through the dome shape, the design or "landscape" appears to continue well beyond the physical edge of the shape.
There are many possible ways to display the intricate artwork of Diana Martens, and her creations may be enhanced by a wide variety of light bases and stands. A few display suggestions may be viewed at Upper Eden in Mount Adams.
Nature has inspired me from my early pen and ink drawings to the intricate patterns that have recently dominated my work. From branches on a tree to the patterns made by rippling streams -- nature has been the source of my designs. Only in the last few years have I learned that these fascinating designs and patterns were recognized and reported as mathematical sequences as early as 1750. It is known as the Fibonacci sequence.
I cannot think of anything closer to my heart and my art than seeing. As soon as I learned about an organization with it's mission to bring eye exams and glasses to the 1 in 7 people on our planet who lack access to vision care I knew I wanted to be a part of it. I am now contributing a portion of my sales to OneSight.org. I hope you will learn more about them! ~Diana