I am excited to be part of this effort! @artistssunday was featured in the @bostonglobe! A reminder to shop from your local artists this holiday season. Link to full article is here.
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In a year of social distancing, the City of Alexandria created this Artful Gift Guide to help sustain the local creative economy. Scroll through to find 20 local artists - including RADOST by Martina Sestakova - and makers from across the tri-state area who create unique, original, and one-of-a-kind holiday gifts. Find a juried selection of jewelry, wearables, home goods, prints, and original works of art at every price point. Return again and again to shop for everyone on your list. The guide will be active through January 9, 2021.  You can shop unique gifts (including my RADOST scarves) and artworks by local artisans at the Holiday Art Market at the Arts Barn in Gaithersburg, MD (through December 30). By appointment only (book a time convenient for you).
Members of Montgomery Art Association come from all walks of life and their artworks and creative processes reflect this wonderful variety. In this blog, we were invited to submit pieces that ponder a moment of PAUSE in art. I shared my abstract watercolor on yupo inspired by Mary Oliver's poetry titled "Here You May Find Me."  So excited to be showcased on DistrictlyLocal.com - an online directory that makes it super easy to browse over 400 products/brands made in the District and lets you filter by Black-owned, POC-owned, woman-owned and LGBTQ-owned! Visit DistrictlyLocal.com.  I am accepting commissions for original artworks. I focus on watercolors/acrylics on yupo and can deliver custom art in a variety of sizes and budgets. Do you have a favorite word, poem, lyrics? Let me know and I will interpret it visually through colors, shapes, and textures. To learn more about my work, visit the ART section of this website.  So fun to have my client send me a photo of my abstract watercolor in its new home. And so fun to see that the colors of my paintings go well with its surroundings! Check out my artworks on Instagram at @martinasestakovaart.  Art at Your Doorstep is a virtual art gallery of juried works created by artists and crafters across the U.S. I am excited to be one of the featured artist and you can see my page in the picture below. Scroll through the website to learn about the incredible variety of arts and crafts in the country. Enjoy!  You know me for my RADOST scarves. Each comes with a name and a short story of inspiration. Well, the same applies to my pillow covers. Look below for a lovely selection of home décor. These covers range from $21 to $24 each and can be washed. I designed all of the patterns and they all hold meaning and joy to bring to your home. Shop here.  I spent November 14 at the Gifts Inn in Boonsboro, MD. This lovely gift shop started carrying my RADOST scarves and paintings a few weeks ago and invited me to come back and meet their customers in person. What a fun day! Thanks to all who stopped by and purchased my work. It warms my heart to know my scarves and artworks are finding new homes. Make sure to check out the Gift Inn's website to see the wide array of gifts by local artisans they care. 
I am so excited! My abstract watercolor on yupo ("I Am Safe") sold through the Latela Curatorial online art exhibition: "Women in the Arts." Check out the full show here.  I am grateful for the highlight of my artwork in the Silver Spring Town Center's newsletter (Volume 8, Issue 11). Read the full version here!  Yesterday, I completed a four-session art workshop with recently immigrated young women and men. The program took place through a local high school with an assistance of a translator. It's great to see young people embrace change with courage and creativity. I have learned so much for them. Contact me if you are looking for unique art classes to support a team/group and to bring people together.  Shopping by color or shape? I always find it fun to group my watercolors by color or by shapes they share. Love yellows? Love blues? Flip through these pics to see a variety of combos. I paint in a bunch of sizes; these beauties are 4" x 6" and you can grab 2-3 to create a larger visual statement for your home. Which grouping is your favorite? . These original watercolors on yupo are $32 each plus tax and shipping. You can shop this Instagram account. I am also happy to get on FaceTime and show you all of my work. 
Come to the Arts Barn and enjoy a gallery full of jewelry, paintings, ceramics, textiles and much more! I am excited to be part of the Arts Barn's Holiday Art Market (November 13-December 30). Make an appointment and grab a unique items for this holiday season.  What a lovely experience at my pop up at the Dupont location of Shop Made in DC. They have carried my scarves for some time now and it was great fun to set up in front of the store, enjoy a sunny Sunday, and meet so many kind customers. Be sure to stop by to check out a wonderful lineup of local makers.
So lovely to be part of MissPrints & MasterPieces, a collection of original art turned into high quality prints/canvases, and now ... phone cases and computer bags! Check out the website that promotes female artists around the world and treat yourself to unique artworks.
Oh my, I had so much chatting about abstract art and my process with the wonderful women at Latela Curatorial and participating artists in "Women in the Arts" online exclusive. Stop by this Artsy exhibition and support local female creatives.
This is what my client has to say about her new scarf (Ceiling in Black, White, and Red): "The colors are so vibrant. The quality is exquisite. I love wearing this with a black shirt, it really pops the colors. Such a unique design. Thank you for your beautiful work."  Oh, this new watercolor on yupo was just so much fun to create! A random moment, intertwined with other random moments, et voila: here we go with a new painting. Let me tell you what happened ... I woke up on a rainy day to a sight of this amazing tree. Bedroom window covered in rain drops, yet this tree just shone right through. Left an impression. A few hours later, I strolled through my town and paused to take a photo of these delightful Fall leaves. I take a lot of photos; they inspire my artwork in many ways. A quite afternoon prompted me to read and to listen to a few podcasts. In one of them, the speaker mentioned "You Are in Your Power" as she talked about kindness and care towards self. I jotted the words down. And... a few hours, my photos and the words morphed themselves into a new painting.
I work pretty intuitively. It's like my idea for a painting forms in my mind and hands as soon as I sit down and start applying water and paint on top of yupo. I had to stand to paint this piece though. It's big - for me! Scroll below for specs. I mix colors and paint on thick layers that I combine with this lines and a bit of white space. I paint in a color of colors and the variety (and white space) seem to give the viewer a break from the intensity of the visual experience. There is one big impression and then one can lean in and appreciate endless details. Colors mixing together in a dance of shapes and textures (enjoy video below).
So, here we go. As I said, I had so much fun creating this piece. It's filled with hope. Kindness. Care. Courage. Anything and everything that evokes "You Are in Your Power." Contact me to purchase this original abstract painting. Specs ... 26” x 20” matted and framed to 36” x 24”. $350 plus tax. Local pick up/delivery. Series: "Visual Insights into Life's Beauty." Work created by @martinasestakovaart is supported in part by funding from the Montgomery County Government and the Arts & Humanities Council of Montgomery County.  I will be doing a pop up at the Shop Made in DC Dupont local in Washington, DC, on November 8 (noon-5pm). Want to see my scarves, heart paintings, and abstracts in person? Stroll through Dupont Circle and make your way to 1710 Connecticut Ave NW. Masks required; hand sanitizer will be available. My display will be - you guessed it - colorful!  Ooh, my pillows look lovely in my client’s home. Got this pic and had to share. Everything feels warm and welcoming and the pillows coordinate beautifully with the art wall.  It's always a lovely evening to be in my studio and to frame and prepare shipments of my colorful abstracts to their new homes. Thank you all for your support of my work!
You are invited! Stop by MissPrints & MasterPieces for an incredible selection of fine prints by female artists. I am a featured artist and you can grab prints of my abstract watercolors in several sizes. Great gifts; great support of small businesses! 
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