Jody Martin

“ At 15 I did my first portrait, a pencil drawing of Michael Landon, which he signed. It hangs in my studio ” Jody Martin

Born in Lubbock, Texas, Jody is the daughter of the late Conny Martin, artist, and C.B. Martin, builder, photographer, and watercolorist. Always passionate about art, Jody never doubted that she would become an artist. She earned her degree in art from Abilene Christian University, and went on to study painting under Hall of Fame artists, Daniel Greene and Emily Guthrie Smith. She values most the education she received from her mother, Conny Martin. Under Conny's tutelage she learned classical drawing and contemporary design.

At 15, she did her first portrait, a pencil drawing of Michael Landon, which he signed. It hangs in her studio.

While in college, Jody started teaching children’s art classes, a pursuit she would continue throughout her adult life. After college, Jody moved to Dallas and began work as a studio artist, doing mostly commissioned paintings and drawings, focusing on portraiture.

In the mid 70s Jody spent a month on the Peter Hurd Ranch in New Mexico, painting in preparation for a solo exhibit. Her favorite memories were visiting with Henriette Wyeth while she painted in her studio and riding horses through the Hondo Valley with Peter Hurd as he showed her the subject matter of many of his paintings, including the iconic water tank.

During the '90s Jody worked as a muralist and was a member of the Decorative Artisans' Guild. She worked with builders and many interior designers, including Rutherford's Design Studio of Dallas, which housed one of her murals.

Her love of teaching led her to accept an opportunity with the Carrollton-Farmers Branch ISD where she taught art from 1999 to 2015. Many of her students have become the subjects of her paintings. She loved helping them learn to see the world through artists’ eyes. She was passionate about teaching them to believe in themselves and to create from their hearts.

Jody and her husband, Jim, moved to Kyle, Texas in 2018 to be close to their grandchildren, who are now the subjects of many of her paintings. In addition to painting, Jody conducts workshops and drawing classes.

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