Women of the World - TWO SOLD
By Martina Munn
Original artworks
Acrylic on canvas board/board
Framed
Various sizes
In order as show above:
Ms Bohème - Framed: H: 30 cm x W: 24 cm - £195 - SOLD
Ms Mayfair - Image H: 34cm x W: 26cm; Framed H: 41cm x W: 33cm - £275
Mademoiselle Grenouille - Image H: 48cm x W: 38cm; Framed H: 62cm x W: 52cm; £325 - SOLD
Martina Munn is new to the gallery for this autumn, as she takes a wry and candid look at fashion and the female persona.
We are showing a small selection of her humorous and naive paintings of international women. A gently Feminist piece of social commentary - in poster colours.
Backgrounds and outfits have repeat-pattern motifs, sometimes scratched into the surface, hinting at the artist's love of textiles and design.
Graphic outlines and flat planes of colour give each work a comic-book angle, along with cultural nods to 'types' from the metropolis, from mainland European cities or from Latin America. This is echoed in their titles - like Ms Bohème, Mademoiselle Grenoiulle and Ms Mayfair. There are even some references to Fria Kahlo and Bloomsbury figures thrown in.
As a deliberate part of each image's impact, carefully-chosen sustainable upcyled frames are painted in fashionable Annie Sloan tints and waxed, often grouping themed figures according to era or adornment.
We look forward to seeing more of her work in the gallery later this year and next.
ABOUT MARTINA MUNN
Martina is a self-taught artist who grew up in the foothills of the Alps in Bavaria, Germany, surrounded by naive and folk art, close to the former home of Wassily Kandinsky and Gabriele Münter.
She trained as an antique furniture restorer and also undertook an apprenticeship with a goldsmith in Oxfordshire, before starting a family and moving to Worcestershire.
Having enjoyed drawing, painting and collage since she was a teenager, she started to take her hobby more seriously as her child grew up. Her studio is her home, where she juggles family life, part-time work and fostering greyhounds.
“Painting for me is escapism, away from mundane daily life. I get great pleasure from bringing my ideas to life.
“I am passionate about naive art, colour, pattern and a sense of space. I paint in acrylic, preferring it to oil as I am too impatient to wait for oil to dry.
“I am a real night owl and often paint late into the night when everyone is in bed. I get inspiration from interior magazines which I love looking through. I will tear out many pages with beautiful wallpapers, textile patterns, merchandise, vases and photos. I also love visiting museums, galleries, National Trust properties and antique shops which all inspire me and give me ideas.
“My subject matter tends to be stil life, animals and portraits. I like to create art that makes people smile and evokes joy and attracts through offering something a little bit different.”