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Yay! My Client Enjoys Her "Thriving" Scarf

1/15/2021

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Such a nice customer review of my scarf "Thriving"... "This is a beautiful scarf with a unique design. I love the details of natural wood forms with subtle color variations. The material is soft and luminous." Thank you!
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"A Good Wander" Is Now With a Happy Client

1/7/2021

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It's always nice to deliver a completed commission on a sunny day. Yay! "A Good Wander" is now in its new home and I am so grateful for the experience. Thank you, The Chesapeake Framing Company, for cutting the mat to fit perfectly for my artwork!
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Another Wonderful Client Review of My RADOST Scarf

1/6/2021

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I am so grateful for notes like these... "Hi Martina, My scarf just arrived and it’s even more gorgeous than I thought. I have a couple of Zoom group meetings tomorrow and I will show it off then!" Thank you all so much for your kind support of my work.
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My Client Is Happy With Her Commission

1/6/2021

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What a Wonderful Customer Review!

1/5/2021

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​I always love getting emails with messages like this one! This is what my client says, "I received my unique, and very beautiful, Christmas scarf today. What a special treat! It will be worn with great pleasure. Thanks so much for a very memorable gift." (Carol)
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Capital Hill Arts Workshop's Mind of the Artist Blog

1/4/2021

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I am honored to be featured in Capital Hill Arts Workshop's Mind of the Artist blog. What a nice way to start 2021! Read the full feature here.
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Taking Commission! Get in Touch!

1/3/2021

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Monthly Dose of RADOST (January): Happy, Colorful and Kind 2021!

1/1/2021

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Hello friends! Let's welcome 2021. I wish you all the best in this bright new year. Thank you for following along on my creative journey and sharing this newsletter with a friend or two. I always appreciate new company. Here is to a year filled with kindness. Read my RADOST newsletter HERE. All my best, Martina 
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​A long post. Because, you know, 2020 deserves it.

1/1/2021

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If you look at a photo of me in my studio at the end of 2019, you see me in my PJs, crazy hair, and a sold out studio. Tired and happy. Here I am today, at the end of 2020 and beginning of 2021. Happier.

Not many things went the way I wanted in 2020. However, a year of scares and endless worries for so many in the world, made my heart softer and kinder.
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In the midst of creating and teaching and attending countless events, I rushed through so many things. A great life with many important moments gone unnoticed. Then, in a day I lost all of my teaching opportunities and hundreds of cancelled classes followed. Craft festivals got cancelled. Covid-19 turned gatherings into nightmares. Shops and art galleries closed their doors. Losses and changes in my personal life ensued. This makes one pause and realize that self love can’t be tied to achievements when the world stops and there is no where to go to “achieve.” My heart hardened for a bit; a reasonable reaction to the shocks of the year.

But one of my strongest values is to keep my heart soft no matter what life brings my way. Oh my, it’s so easy to board up and close our minds and bodies in self defense. I am a believer in that life is always on my side. I adore being alive and 2020 showed me many things I would never have seen before.

As days passed, my clients reached out. I got hand written notes about my designs’ impact on their lives. Turns out a scarf filled with positive messages indeed makes one feel good. I got cash in an envelope with a note: for my favorite artist. I cried. I sat down in my home studio and I painted and designed new textiles. They are filled with more hope than ever before. Huge art and craft fairs turned into small driveway-type of gatherings and I had interesting masked-up conversations with my fellow creators.

Zoom facilitated teaching and learning from the comfort of our homes. I met so many lovely humans through the computer screen. We created together and there was laughter and crying too. I did private art classes and families and work teams came together across states for a few moments of pause and sharing. While I could mostly only see people’s heads, I could tell art has made an impact. Complete strangers shared deeply and with much compassion for each other.

My artworks deepened in meaning: I aim to capture life’s beauty in my abstracts and this year I went beyond scraping the surface. Online shows became the new norm and my paintings reached new collectors. The art community went from competition to asking how can we remain strong by supporting each other?

You know how on the plane they tell you to put the oxygen mask on first? Well, 2020 made me actually do it. I paused - after being forced to do so - and I started actively taking care of my mental and physical health. It’s not always a pretty journey but healing (and an occasional hot foot bath) is at the core of love and being able to be there for others.

When I dropped off shipments at the post office, I would feel so much gratitude for being able to do what I love. Upon logging into a workshop, I could be there for my students in a more meaningful way. And in my studio, I created with more openness. My finding: fear is overrated and curiosity about the world inside and outside of us rocks. So, here I am today. Vulnerable. Yet, courageous. And definitely, happier. 

Please know that anything you purchase from me - be it a scarf, a ticket to an art class, a painting - is filled with joy, deeply felt and explored from many angles. Five years ago, it started as a cute idea; I would name my company RADOST, the Czech word for joy. Today, it’s the pillar of my creative practice that arrives at your doorstep wrapped in a pretty magenta tissue paper. In this note, I wish to convey a deep THANK YOU for coming along and your kind support of my work. Stay safe.
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New Artworks Inspired by Mary Oliver's Poetry

12/27/2020

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I am excited to reveal four new artworks inspired by Mary Oliver's poetry. I find Oliver's works so moving and healing and often refer to them for inspiration. I take her words or snippets of text and turn them into the titles of my abstract paintings. Scroll through for a lovely variety of large pieces for your home. They are $315 each (matted and framed in white), ready to put on the wall or to gift to a loved one. Contact me for details. 
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"It Might Be Something" (26 x 20") Watercolors/Acrylics on Yupo 2020
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"Perhaps" (26 x 20") Watercolors/Acrylics on Yupo 2020
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"Notice More and More" (26 x 20") Watercolors/Acrylics on Yupo 2020
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"Touch the Earth" (26 x 20") Watercolors/Acrylics on Yupo 2020
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What My Client Says About a Wedding Gift to Her Husband-to-Be

12/26/2020

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I had the pleasure of painting this watercolor on yupo for Nikki and this is what she says of her experience and new artwork for her home: "Our wedding date is the 27th - but I couldn’t wait any longer and showed him your incredible painting this morning! He loves it. I love it. We can’t wait to hang it on our wall! We’re thinking right over our bed or on the wall of our dining room. We’ve already discussed commissioning more from you to add to our collection. Thank you again for such a perfect and unique expression of this moment in time for us. This will be an heirloom we pass down for generations to come."  Contact me so we can together create a unique piece of art for your home. 
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“Notice More and More” inspired by Mary Oliver’s poem

12/24/2020

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​New work: “Notice More and More” inspired by Mary Oliver’s poem “Moths”. I painted it as a landscape but am liking the portrait setup too. When thinking of the act and process of “noticing”, I am drawn to “active” colors (whatever that means in my mind ): oranges and purples. I hope the energy comes through. Watercolors and acrylics on yupo. 26” x 20”. Contact me if interested.
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"It Might Mean Something": New Painting Comes to Life!

12/23/2020

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I just completed this piece yesterday. It's watercolors and acrylics on yupo (26" x 20") and is titled "It Might Mean Something" (words out of Mary Oliver's poem, 'Watering the Stones'). I love Oliver's work and really enjoy exploring her words and their perceived meanings through colors, shapes, and textures. Message me if interested ($315).
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SYMBOLISM: Art Show at Frame of Mine in Washington, DC

12/22/2020

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There is a cool video about the SYMBOLISM art exhibition (organized by Capitol Hill Art League) at Frame of Mine in Washington, DC. Watch it here! I am grateful for the judge's - Delna Dastur - remarks about my watercolor on yupo titled "Such Silence." You can stop by the show in person or view it online. 
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Great Customer Reviews of My RADOST scarves!

12/21/2020

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Always so happy to log into my website and find reviews like these from my kind clients.

"My scarf was just exactly as pictured, a beautiful watercolor design with gorgeous colors. It looks great on and I get a lot of compliments when I wear it. LOVE." (Fran)

"The picture does not give this beautiful scarf justice! The detail on this soft luminous fabric is amazing. The artist includes a statement of her inspiration for the print. I will certainly check her website, especially when seeking a very special gift." (Mary)
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Prints from MissPrints & MasterPieces Look Amazing!

12/13/2020

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A client of mine sent me this photo of my artwork in her home. How lovely! I am excited to be part of MissPrints & MasterPieces, a website that celebrates art by female artists. You can purchase prints, canvases, and other items with our artworks on them. Hop over and treat yourself and support us. Thank you!
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Original Artworks on Yupo Makes for Cool Gifts

12/13/2020

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Follow me on Instagram for daily art posts. I paint on yupo, a really fun synthetic medium. Here is an example of one of my artworks.

"Feeling Connected"... That's such a nice feeling, isn't it? Being part of something bigger and being connected both to ourselves and to the world around us. Community and nature. I see stars in this painting, moving through the sky, flickering their unique light, creating a unique experience.

Original artworks. Prices run $28 through $315.
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Opening on December 12: the SYMBOLISM Juried Art Show

12/12/2020

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Opening on December 12 is the SYMBOLISM juried art show! Stop by Framing of Mine Gallery in Washington, DC, to see a selection of artworks by Capitol Hill Art League members. I am one of them! This is my watercolor on yupo - "Such Silence" - inspired by a Mary Oliver poem. You can see the art exhibition in person. Delna Dastur @delnadastur juried this show of 72 artworks submitted from CHAL members. This exhibition will also be posted on https://www.caphillartleague.org/ and live on the walls at Frame of Mine Gallery at 545 8th Street SE, Washington, D.C., 20003.
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Thank You All for Your Kind Support of My CRAFT

12/12/2020

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Glen Echo's Holiday Art Show & Sale: through January 3

12/9/2020

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“Our Hearts Are Open” at Chesapeake Framing in Kensington

12/8/2020

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Yay! My “Our Hearts Are Open” painting is beautifully framed and on display! Thank you @chesapeakeframing for this opportunity to share my art with locals in the Town of Kensington. May you be interested in this artwork, please contact the shop. Yay again!

Please consider @chesapeakeframing for your framing and art-related needs. This shop is a #womanowned #smallbusiness ❤️

Contact me for commissions and custom work. Art makes for fabulous gifts! You will have tons of fun brainstorming artwork to bring joy to your home. 
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Take a Private Art Lesson from the Comfort of Your Home

12/7/2020

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Interested in furthering your art practice? I enjoy private sessions with my clients and can set up a Zoom meeting at your convenience. We can work in watercolors on a variety of surfaces (e.g., watercolor paper or yupo) and deepen your understanding of what brings you joy when it comes to creating. One hour session is $35. Contact me here.
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Thank You for the Feature of My Artwork on Instagram at Washington Water Color Association

12/6/2020

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My Artwork As a Website Background!

12/5/2020

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How fun to see my watercolor on yupo as a background on the Capital Hill Art League website! I joined this group earlier this year and it's been such a lovely experience. 
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It's Always so Nice to See My Artworks in their New Homes

11/29/2020

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I came across this post on Instagram. So fun to see how my clients display my artworks in their homes. Send you pix over! I would love to see them. 
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Contact Martina Sestakova at connect@RadostByMartinaSestakova.com


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