I am delighted to invite you to my solo exhibition, The Healing Garden, on view August 4 through November 8, 2026, at Watkins Nature Center in Upper Marlboro, Maryland.

This exhibition brings together 29 original paintings from my ongoing Healing Garden series. Each piece is inspired by the beauty of flowers, gardens, forests, and the quiet moments in nature that invite us to slow down and notice the world around us. Some paintings were inspired by places I've visited, others by photographs shared by family and friends, and many simply by the joy of watching a garden change through the seasons.

The exhibition includes a variety of original works, from intimate acrylic paintings on paper and Yupo to stretched canvases and round canvases that are ready to hang. Whether you're an art collector, a gardener, or simply someone who enjoys spending time outdoors, I hope enjoy the show!

I'd especially love to see you at the Artist Reception: Saturday, October 3, 2026 (1-3pm). This is a wonderful opportunity to see the collection, ask questions about my process and hear the stories behind the paintings. 

Exhibition Details:
The Healing Garden (August 4 – November 8, 2026)
Watkins Nature Center
301 Watkins Park Drive, Upper Marlboro, MD
Admission is free.
​
Thank you for supporting my work and for being part of this creative journey. I hope you'll visit the exhibition, spend some time with the paintings, and perhaps discover your own healing garden along the way.

Social media is wonderful for sharing quick moments, but it often doesn't leave much room for the stories behind the art. That's why I love sending my monthly RADOST Newsletter. Each newsletter is a chance to slow down and invite you into my creative world. I share new paintings, behind-the-scenes glimpses from my studio, upcoming art workshops, exhibitions, wearable art, and the inspiration that finds its way into my work. Subscribers are also the first to hear about new collections, special events, studio updates, and occasional announcements about travel or shipping schedules. It's my favorite way to stay in touch because it feels more like writing a letter to friends than posting into the fast-moving world of social media. Sign up today!

​One of my favorite parts of being a textile designer is creating custom scarves that tell a story. I enjoyed designing an exclusive scarf collection for Gifts Inn in Boonsboro, Maryland, inspired by the architecture and character of Inn Boonsboro. Whether you're a boutique, museum, gallery, garden, or historic site, I'd love to help create a signature scarf collection that your visitors will treasure. If you're interested in designing custom wearable art, please reach out through my website—I would love to bring your vision to life.

On my computer, every painting in my Healing Garden series has its own folder. Lined up one after another are more than one hundred artworks inspired by gardens, flowers, forests, mountains, and meaningful places. Tucked among those folders is one more image that doesn't have a painting number. It's a small photograph of my grandmother. She may appear small on my screen, but her influence on my life has been anything but small.

My grandmother lived in Prague, my hometown, and she cared for her family in quiet, steady ways. Looking back, I realize that the feeling I try to create in every Healing Garden painting is much like the feeling I experienced in her presence: warmth, beauty, and the sense that everything will be okay.

Nature has always been at the heart of my Healing Gardens series, and my recent trip to the Blue Ridge Mountains in North Carolina offered endless reminders of why. After a day of exploration, I returned to my campsite, and painted through the evening. 

My pieces in the Healing Gardens series are less about documenting a flower and more about capturing the feeling of encountering something unexpectedly beautiful in nature. During my time in North Carolina, I completed four new paintings and here  I am sharing my inspiration photos and the finished works. Each painting is an original acrylic on a round canvas with finished sides and a wire on the back, making it ready to hang and enjoy without framing. I hope these new works bring a bit of the quiet beauty of the Blue Ridge Mountains into someone's home.

For eleven days, I traded the familiar rhythm of my life in Maryland for the quiet of western North Carolina's forests. Surrounded by the Blue Ridge Mountains, I spent my days walking wooded trails, breathing fresh air, reading under the trees, and simply slowing down. There were countless moments when I found myself looking up, taking in what felt like a million beautiful trees stretching toward the sky. What a stunning area! And as you know me, I painted!

These photos offer a glimpse into my studio in Kensington, Maryland, where the creative process comes full circle. Once a painting is finished, I sign it, label the back, attach the hanging wire, and prepare it for its photo session before I add it to my online shop. Creation - to me - doesn't end with the last brushstroke. Rather, it ends when each piece is ready to to be presented to you. You'll also spot some of the tools that help make it all happen: scissors, rulers, pencils, labels, and other supplies that keep everything accurate. While I work through these final steps, I often listen to an audiobook or music, enjoying this quieter part of the artistic journey before it's time to begin the next painting.

If you enjoy discovering unique gifts while supporting local artists and small businesses, I hope you'll take a trip to the charming town of Boonsboro, Maryland. For quite some time now, my artwork has been part of the beautiful collection at the Gifts Inn, a lovely shop filled with creations by local makers. You'll find a selection of my creations there, including original artworks from my Visual Insights into Life's Beauty series, my colorful Heart prints, and my wearable art in the form of RADOST scarves. Enjoy!

There is something special about giving original art as a gift. Unlike something mass-produced, an original painting carries the artist's hand, time, and attention in every brushstroke. My newest Healing Garden paintings are acrylics on 8×10" canvas, with each one being a one-of-a-kind piece created to bring beauty into everyday life. At $125 each, they make thoughtful gifts for birthdays, anniversaries, housewarmings, retirements, or simply for someone who appreciates art and nature.
​
The edges of each canvas are carefully finished, a hanging wire is attached to the back, and no additional framing is needed. Whether displayed on their own or as part of a gallery wall, they add a cheerful touch. You can browse the available paintings on my website, and if you have a particular inspiration in mind, I would be delighted to create a commissioned Healing Garden painting just for you. Commissions are available in a variety of sizes. Let's be in touch!

There is something about a round canvas that keeps drawing me back. Unlike the familiar rectangle or square, a circle has no beginning or end. It invites the eye to wander gently, discovering flowers, leaves, and colors without the boundaries that usually guide a composition. My newest additions to the Healing Garden series are painted in acrylic on round canvases, and I found myself embracing this shape from the very first brushstroke. I painted a subtle "frame" around each piece, giving them the feeling of a framed artwork.

Nature has a remarkable way of staying with us long after we experience it. At least, that's what always happens to me. I have so many treasured memories of places I have visited. My newest trio of paintings in the Healing Gardens series celebrates some of these places.

Healing Garden #108: This one is inspired by the breathtaking beauty of Longwood Gardens in Pennsylvania, USA. Walking through its lush landscapes with a dear friend, I found myself slowing down to really notice my surroundings and slow down. 

Healing Garden #104: It is inspired by a garden in the small Czech village, a place I have never visited. Instead, my aunt sent me a photograph of her beautiful garden there. We don't always have to experience a place firsthand for it to touch us. 

Healing Garden #103: Inspired by Prague, my hometown, this one is a reminder to look for nature in cities. Gardens, parks, side streets. Creating this piece became another way of carrying a small part of Prague back to my studio.

More than twenty years ago, I bought this frog sculpture. At the time, it was silver, and I doubt I gave much thought to how long it would remain part of my life. Yet here we are, decades later, and the frog is still with me.
Over the years, the frog has lived in different homes. What makes it interesting to me is that it has never stayed exactly the same. Every so often, I decide it needs a new look. Out comes the spray paint, and the frog emerges in a different color—sometimes bright and cheerful, sometimes more subdued. The shape remains familiar, but its appearance shifts with time.
Recently, as I looked at the frog in its last bright pink color, I realized it reminds me a lot of my art practice. My relationship with art has been one of the most constant parts of my life. It has accompanied me through moves, career changes, friendships, travels, celebrations, and challenges. Like the frog, it has always been there. And like the frog, it has changed.
When I first began painting, I approached the creative process differently than I do today. My interests have evolved. My techniques have expanded. The subjects that capture my attention have shifted. Yet beneath all those changes is the same curiosity that drew me to art in the first place. Let's see what happens next! To the frog and in my art practice!

I recently completed a commissioned painting that was a true delight from beginning to end. My client reached out with a collection of photographs from her garden. Together, we discussed the flowers she enjoyed and selected a color palette that felt meaningful to her. I always enjoy collaborating with collectors because each commission becomes a conversation between their vision and my artistic process.

As the painting developed, I found myself trying two approaches that were new to me. Usually, I create a composition based on a single reference photograph, but for this piece I worked from two different garden images. I selected floral shapes from each photograph and combined them into one harmonious composition. The process allowed me to create relationships between flowers that had not originally grown together, resulting in a design that felt both balanced and dynamic. Another surprise emerged in the background. I often use dots in a single color to add movement and texture, but this time I experimented with three different colors. The result was far more energetic and playful than I anticipated. 

Another lovely aspect of this commission was the experience of creating it. The warm weather drew both me and the canvas outside to a shady corner of my backyard. There, accompanied by fresh air and an audiobook, I spent hours immersed in the painting process. It felt like a small retreat. I am grateful to my client for trusting me with her vision and for inspiring me to explore new possibilities in my work. This commission not only resulted in a finished painting but also opened the door to creative discoveries that I look forward to carrying into future artworks.

Healing Garden #105

Follow me on Instagram at @radostbymartinasestakova.

These two paintings—one rectangular, one circular—represent two directions a Healing Garden commission can take. While each piece is inspired by personal memories, meaningful places, beloved flowers, and the stories that connect us, the shape itself can create a very different feeling. The rectangle feels like a window into a garden, an invitation to step inside. The circle feels more intimate and reflective, like a cherished memory held close. Both formats are available for custom commissions, and I love collaborating with collectors to create artwork that honors a special person, place, or experience. I'm curious: which shape speaks to you more—the rectangle or the circle? Let me know in the comments.