Pen and Pencil

By Shawn Martin
Southeastern Connecticut

There are no shades of gray in the visual artistry of Shawn Martin from Connecticut. His 'When You Know Your Time Has Come'  for example, is in black and white, to mean how wrong deforestation is.

[caption id="attachment_3078" align="alignleft" width="246"] When you know your time has come[/caption]

Primarily self-taught, Shawn's medium of choice tends to be India Ink Pens because he enjoys experimenting with different types of mark making.

At the Brooklyn Book Fair in September, he exhibited his works alongside a Jewish and Singaporean writer.

Excerpts from the interview:

1.What usually inspires you to do your illustrations and paintings?

Peace of mind. No matter what the subject matter, drawing has always been a therapeutic endeavor in which I could  completely indulge myself. For at least a couple of hours at a time, I can alleviate myself from the stresses and complexities of the world around me.

[caption id="attachment_3079" align="alignright" width="222"] Martin[/caption]

2. Did you have formal education on visual arts?

I feel that my formal art training is negligible. I only studied Art for a single semester at a local community college in  Connecticut.

3. Who is the artist that you look up to or inspires you?

Ahhh...there are too many great and inspiring artists to list, but lately I've been enjoying the works of Aubrey  Beardsley, and the Noir drawings of Odilon Redon.

4. Is this more of a hobby or profession to you?

I draw because I love to draw. It is not my sole source of income but I'm always interested in meeting and working with  new people on various projects.

[caption id="attachment_3080" align="alignleft" width="240"] Greenville, ME[/caption]

5. Any upcoming art exhibit or projects? Tell us about it.

I have been writing and publishing short fiction under different pseudonyms for the last year or so. I just released, on  October 1st, a 60-page chapbook of selected shorts that is now available on amazon.com. It is titled 'Nothing Seems To Ever Get Better' and is written under the name Stanley Deakon. I hope that people will check it out and enjoy the work.

6. How does an artist shine in a highly competitive world?

I do what I enjoy doing and try to get involved. My last event was the Brooklyn Book Festival in NYC, and I enjoy doing it  every year. I meet a lot of interesting people that make what I do even more worth while!

[caption id="attachment_3081" align="alignleft" width="300"] At the Brooklyn Book Fair in September[/caption]