Barbara Martin

I produce art using a variety of media, from scratchboards "portraits" of birds to conceptual collage and assemblage. I hope my assemblage and collage work will spark a dialogue about war, plastics, addiction, religion/faith, and the division that grips our country, indeed, the whole world. Distressed by these issues, I take comfort in rendering birds in scratchboard. The birds often wear royal crowns and are meant to remind us of the reverence we pay to royalty and the "stars" in our society. Sports stars, rock stars, and movie stars are what we have come to revere. They distract us from each other and the natural world around us. I believe birds, and by extension, all the natural world might help us find the inner peace we long for.