“My artwork takes an interpretative view of natural patterns. Through my paintings I seek to create an organic development of form, depth and color working together to create a unique expression. Organic Expressionism, is a succinct way to describe my process.I start with a clear acrylic panel and apply heat, wind, water, brush and pigment in a reverse order to create my paintings. In reverse glass the artist works from foreground to the background, the initial strokes being the most imperative and the final being of very little consequence; inverse of a canvas.By engaging forms of interlaced ovals, linear movement, arcs and fields of color, I seek to produce a unique visual expression in each painting. As a botanist crosses variant orchids to create beautiful new strain, I fuse various applications, and forms to evolve my paintings. In the end I paint to create a strong aesthetically engaging presence, that evokes a calm excitement of natural beauty.”“My artwork takes an interpretative view of natural patterns. Through my paintings I seek to create an organic development of form, depth and color working together to create a unique expression. Organic Expressionism, is a succinct way to describe my process.
I start with a clear acrylic panel and apply heat, wind, water, brush and pigment in a reverse order to create my paintings. In reverse glass the artist works from foreground to the background, the initial strokes being the most imperative and the final being of very little consequence; inverse of a canvas.By engaging forms of interlaced ovals, linear movement, arcs and fields of color, I seek to produce a unique visual expression in each painting. As a botanist crosses variant orchids to create beautiful new strain, I fuse various applications, and forms to evolve my paintings. In the end I paint to create a strong aesthetically engaging presence, that evokes a calm excitement of natural beauty.” Though his technique traces back to the 14th century, Christopher Martin’s approach to "Verre Églomisé" is entirely modern. A self-taught artist, Christopher coaxes layers of sheer pigment and water to achieve his vision ~ harnessing brushes, wind, heat, and gravity.
Describing his technique, of painting in reverse on acrylic panels, Christopher says, "Every layer of paint has a high influence on the one behind it as opposed to a flat covering stroke. It’s often around thirty layers of paint that fuse together."
Finding inspiration in nature has fueled his motivation. "When you observe the veining in a slab of marble, or the alternating colors in petrified wood and other natural creations, they are all inherently poetic and attuned to the laws of abstraction. Study them closely, and you’ll identify compositions of abstraction. Being surrounded by these natural masterpieces in Colorado is a constant source of inspiration.”
As Simone Bretz, a former curator of the Munich Metropolitan Museum and noted expert in reverse glass painting states, "Well-executed reverse-glass paintings do not reveal the complexity of their manufacture. Since the designs are applied to the back of glass panes, they must be built up in reverse – starting with the foreground and working "backwards” – which makes corrections virtually impossible.”
In the twenty years since he began painting, his works have been sought for corporate and private collections nationally and internationally.
In 2012, he celebrated the completion and installation of a 120-ft. painting aptly titled, "Velocity," consisting of 15 consecutive panels for the Formula One Racetrack, Circuit of the Americas, in Austin, Texas. Kidz Creations, a charity project launched in 2001 involves painting with hundreds of children over 13 years benefitting various hospitals, which will exceed the $500,000 benchmark this year.Though his technique traces back to the 14th century, Christopher Martin’s approach to "Verre Églomisé" is entirely modern. A self-taught artist, Christopher coaxes layers of sheer pigment and water to achieve his vision ~ harnessing brushes, wind, heat, and gravity.
Describing his technique, of painting in reverse on acrylic panels, Christopher says, "Every layer of paint has a high influence on the one behind it as opposed to a flat covering stroke. It’s often around thirty layers of paint that fuse together."
Finding inspiration in nature has fueled his motivation. "When you observe the veining in a slab of marble, or the alternating colors in petrified wood and other natural creations, they are all inherently poetic and attuned to the laws of abstraction. Study them closely, and you’ll identify compositions of abstraction. Being surrounded by these natural masterpieces in Colorado is a constant source of inspiration.”
As Simone Bretz, a former curator of the Munich Metropolitan Museum and noted expert in reverse glass painting states, "Well-executed reverse-glass paintings do not reveal the complexity of their manufacture. Since the designs are applied to the back of glass panes, they must be built up in reverse – starting with the foreground and working "backwards” – which makes corrections virtually impossible.”
In the twenty years since he began painting, his works have been sought for corporate and private collections nationally and internationally.
In 2012, he celebrated the completion and installation of a 120-ft. painting aptly titled, "Velocity," consisting of 15 consecutive panels for the Formula One Racetrack, Circuit of the Americas, in Austin, Texas. Kidz Creations, a charity project launched in 2001 involves painting with hundreds of children over 13 years benefitting various hospitals, which will exceed the $500,000 benchmark this year. SHOWINGS 2017 Laura Rathe Fine Art - Aria- Houston, TX
2017 Context New York - New York, NY
2017 Art Boca Raton - Boca Raton, FL
2017 Art Wynwood - Miami, FL
2017 Art Palm Springs - Palm Springs, CA
2016 Context Art Miami - Miami, FL
2016 SOFA - Chicago, CO
2016 Art Aspen - Aspen, CO
2016 The La Jolla Gallery - Natural Patterns, La Jolla, CA
2016 Art Hamptons - Hamptons, NY
2016 Reflections - Christopher Martin Gallery - Dallas, TX
2016 AD Home Design Show - New York, NY
2016 Art Wynwood - Miami, FL
2016 Laura Rathe Fine Art - Focus- Houston, TX
2015 Context Miami - Miami, FL
2015 Art San Diego - San Diego, CA
2015 Art Aspen - Aspen, CO
2015 Art Hamptons - Hamptons, NY
2015 Laura Rathe Fine Art - Twenty Years - Houston, TX
2015 Art Wynwood - Miami, FL
2014 Art Aspen - Aspen, CO
2014 Context Miami - Miami, FL
2014 Art Hamptons - Hamptons, NY
2014 Art Southampton - Southampton, NY
2014 The McLoughlin Gallery - Organic Fusion - San Francisco, CA
2014 Art Wynwood - Miami, FL
2013 Context Art Miami - Miami, FL
2013 Unique Dialogue - Galerie Mondapart - Paris, France
2013 Houston Fine Art Fair - Houston, TX
2013 Laura Rathe Fine Art - Luna - Houston, TX
2013 Art Aspen - Aspen, CO
2013 Art Southampton - Southampton, NY
2013 Personal Structures Time, Space & Existence I 55th Venice Biennale I Venice, Italy
2013 Scope Basel I Basel, Switzerland
2013 Palette to Palate - Laguna Art Museum - Laguna, CA
2013 Art Wynwood I Miami, FL
2012 McLoughlin Gallery ViscosityI San Francisco, CA
2012 Houston Fine Art Fair I Houston, TX
2012 Laura Rathe | Opening Reception I Houston, TX
2012 Private Exhibition I Watermill, NY
2011 Opening Reception | FLOW I KM Fine Arts I Chicago, IL
2010 Red Dot Miami - Miami, FL 2009 Laura Rathe Fluid Dynamics - Houston, TX
2009 Red Dot Fair - Miami, FL
2008 Art Expo Winner Best Solo Artist - Las Vegas, NV
2008 Art Now - Miami Beach, FL
2008 Laura Rathe Fine Art - Houston, TX
2008 Laguna Fine Art - Laguna Beach, CA
2008 Alan Avery Art - Atlanta, GA
2008 Phillip Morton Gallery - Rehoboth Beach, DE
2008 Art Expo - New York, NY
2009 Laura Rathe Fluid Dynamics - Houston, TX
2009 Red Dot Fair - Miami, FL
2008 Art Expo Winner Best Solo Artist - Las Vegas, NV
2008 Art Now - Miami Beach, FL
2008 Laura Rathe Fine Art - Houston, TX
2008 Laguna Fine Art - Laguna Beach, CA
2008 Alan Avery Art - Atlanta, GA
2008 Phillip Morton Gallery - Rehoboth Beach, DE
2008 Art Expo - New York, NY
2007 Chemers - Anaheim, CA
2007 Tamera Reigel - Las Vegas, NV
2007 Art Expo - Las Vegas, NV
2007 Kodner Gallery ìMosaicî - Saint Louis, MO
2006 Cerrito Fine Art - Oakland, CA
2005 Kodner Art Gallery ìSpectrumî - Saint Louis, MO
2005 Art Works Fellowship Holland Hall - Tulsa, OK
2004 Simmons Gallery ìLiquidî - San Francisco, CA
2002 Milan Gallery - Fort Worth, TX
2002 Beekman Gallery - New York, NY
2001 Kodner Gallery - Saint Louis, MO
2001 Gallery Soho - Palm Desert, CA
2001 Michael Levy Gallery - Long Beach, CA
2001 Palm Springs International Fair - Palm Springs, CA
2001 Austin Modern Art Gallery - Austin, TX
2000 Ken Elias Fine Art - Palm Beach, FL
2000 Art Expo - New York, NY
1997 Hooshang Gallery - Santa Fe, NM
1997 Selected Beaux Arts Ball - Dallas Museum of Art
1997 Florence Art Gallery - Dallas, TX
1997 Milan Gallery - Fort Worth, TX
1997 Neiman Marcus Spring Art Show - Dallas, TX
1996 Southwest Art Gallery - Dallas, TX
1996 Hemisphere Gallery - Dallas & Houston, TX
1995 The MAC - Dallas, TX SELECT COLLECTIONS Met Life - Houston, TX
Omni Hotel - Dallas, TX
Circuit of the Americas - Austin, TX
Former President George Bush Sr. - Houston, TX
Hillwood Company - Dallas, TX
Mirage Hotel & Casino - Las Vegas, NV
Wolfgang's Steakhouse - Beverly Hills, CA
Ritz Carlton - Tucson, AZ
Deloite & Touche - Dallas, TX
Anheuser Busch - St. Louis, MO
Vincent and Elkins - Dallas - Houston - Washington
Motorola - Austin, TX
Cushman Wakefield - Dallas - New York
MGM Grand Hotel & Casino - Las Vegas, NV
Westin - Napa Valley, CA
Equinox Gym & Spa - Dallas, TX
Nordstrom - Portland, OR
Boeing Areospace - St. Louis, MO
Mandarin Oriental - Dallas, TX
Wachovia - Houston, TX
Stroz Friedberg - Dallas, TX - Chicago, TX
Starbucks - Seattle, WA
Gensler Architecture - Dallas, TX
Adera Inc. - Stockholm, Sweden
Tailwater Capital - Dallas, TX Hyatt Hotels - Dallas, TX - Key West, FL
American Financial International - Houston, TX
Mercantile - Dallas, TX
Palms Steakhouse - Palm Springs, CA
Lazarus Property - Dallas, TX
Verve Communications Inc.- Dallas, TX
Ameri-First Securities - Dallas, TX
Oxy Medical, Inc. - Dallas, TX
Arcturus Corporation - Dallas - New York
Credit Unions, Inc. - Phoenix, AZ
Penbrook Capital, Inc. - Dallas, TX
SCA Technologies, Inc. - Dallas, TX
North Texas Wind Symphony - Dallas, TX
Blake Agency, Inc. - Chicago, IL
Art Source, Inc. - Chicago, IL
1401 Elm Place Commission - Dallas, TX
Budco - San Antonio, TX
Wachovia - Houston, TX
1505 Elm - Dallas, TX
McKinney One Place - Dallas, TX
Metallo Design - Hong Kong
Thirty Thirty Bryan - Dallas, TX
Raging Wire - Ashburn, VA
Weinberg Properties - New York City, NY
Vess Oil Corporation - Dallas, TX REPRESENTATION Laura Rathe Fine Art | Houston, TX
Chase Edwards Contemporary | Bridgehampton, NY
The La Jolla Gallery | La Jolla , CA
Samuel Owen Gallery | Greenwich, CT | Nantucket, MA UPCOMING ART FAIRS SOFA Chicago - Chicago, IL, November 3 -6, 2016
Context Art Miami - Miami, FL - November 29 - December 4, 2016
Palm Springs Art Fair - Palms Springs, CA - February 2017
Art Wynwood - Miami, FL - February 2017
Art Hamptons - Bridgehampton, NY - June-July 2017 SHOWINGS 2017 Laura Rathe Fine Art - Aria- Houston, TX
2017 Context New York - New York, NY
2017 Art Boca Raton - Boca Raton, FL
2017 Art Wynwood - Miami, FL
2017 Art Palm Springs - Palm Springs, CA
2016 Context Art Miami - Miami, FL
2016 SOFA - Chicago, CO
2016 Art Aspen - Aspen, CO
2016 The La Jolla Gallery - Natural Patterns, La Jolla, CA
2016 Art Hamptons - Hamptons, NY
2016 Reflections - Christopher Martin Gallery - Dallas, TX
2016 AD Home Design Show - New York, NY
2016 Art Wynwood - Miami, FL
2016 Laura Rathe Fine Art - Focus- Houston, TX
2015 Context Miami - Miami, FL
2015 Art San Diego - San Diego, CA
2015 Art Aspen - Aspen, CO
2015 Art Hamptons - Hamptons, NY
2015 Laura Rathe Fine Art - Twenty Years - Houston, TX
2015 Art Wynwood - Miami, FL
2014 Art Aspen - Aspen, CO
2014 Context Miami - Miami, FL
2014 Art Hamptons - Hamptons, NY
2014 Art Southampton - Southampton, NY
2014 The McLoughlin Gallery - Organic Fusion - San Francisco, CA
2014 Art Wynwood - Miami, FL
2013 Context Art Miami - Miami, FL
2013 Unique Dialogue - Galerie Mondapart - Paris, France
2013 Houston Fine Art Fair - Houston, TX
2013 Laura Rathe Fine Art - Luna - Houston, TX
2013 Art Aspen - Aspen, CO
2013 Art Southampton - Southampton, NY
2013 Personal Structures Time, Space & Existence I 55th Venice Biennale I Venice, Italy
2013 Scope Basel I Basel, Switzerland
2013 Palette to Palate - Laguna Art Museum - Laguna, CA
2013 Art Wynwood I Miami, FL
2012 McLoughlin Gallery ViscosityI San Francisco, CA
2012 Houston Fine Art Fair I Houston, TX
2012 Laura Rathe | Opening Reception I Houston, TX
2012 Private Exhibition I Watermill, NY
2011 Opening Reception | FLOW I KM Fine Arts I Chicago, IL
2010 Red Dot Miami - Miami, FL 2009 Laura Rathe Fluid Dynamics - Houston, TX
2009 Red Dot Fair - Miami, FL
2008 Art Expo Winner Best Solo Artist - Las Vegas, NV
2008 Art Now - Miami Beach, FL
2008 Laura Rathe Fine Art - Houston, TX
2008 Laguna Fine Art - Laguna Beach, CA
2008 Alan Avery Art - Atlanta, GA
2008 Phillip Morton Gallery - Rehoboth Beach, DE
2008 Art Expo - New York, NY
2009 Laura Rathe Fluid Dynamics - Houston, TX
2009 Red Dot Fair - Miami, FL
2008 Art Expo Winner Best Solo Artist - Las Vegas, NV
2008 Art Now - Miami Beach, FL
2008 Laura Rathe Fine Art - Houston, TX
2008 Laguna Fine Art - Laguna Beach, CA
2008 Alan Avery Art - Atlanta, GA
2008 Phillip Morton Gallery - Rehoboth Beach, DE
2008 Art Expo - New York, NY
2007 Chemers - Anaheim, CA
2007 Tamera Reigel - Las Vegas, NV
2007 Art Expo - Las Vegas, NV
2007 Kodner Gallery ìMosaicî - Saint Louis, MO
2006 Cerrito Fine Art - Oakland, CA
2005 Kodner Art Gallery ìSpectrumî - Saint Louis, MO
2005 Art Works Fellowship Holland Hall - Tulsa, OK
2004 Simmons Gallery ìLiquidî - San Francisco, CA
2002 Milan Gallery - Fort Worth, TX
2002 Beekman Gallery - New York, NY
2001 Kodner Gallery - Saint Louis, MO
2001 Gallery Soho - Palm Desert, CA
2001 Michael Levy Gallery - Long Beach, CA
2001 Palm Springs International Fair - Palm Springs, CA
2001 Austin Modern Art Gallery - Austin, TX
2000 Ken Elias Fine Art - Palm Beach, FL
2000 Art Expo - New York, NY
1997 Hooshang Gallery - Santa Fe, NM
1997 Selected Beaux Arts Ball - Dallas Museum of Art
1997 Florence Art Gallery - Dallas, TX
1997 Milan Gallery - Fort Worth, TX
1997 Neiman Marcus Spring Art Show - Dallas, TX
1996 Southwest Art Gallery - Dallas, TX
1996 Hemisphere Gallery - Dallas & Houston, TX
1995 The MAC - Dallas, TX SELECT COLLECTIONS Met Life - Houston, TX
Omni Hotel - Dallas, TX
Circuit of the Americas - Austin, TX
Former President George Bush Sr. - Houston, TX
Hillwood Company - Dallas, TX
Mirage Hotel & Casino - Las Vegas, NV
Wolfgang's Steakhouse - Beverly Hills, CA
Ritz Carlton - Tucson, AZ
Deloite & Touche - Dallas, TX
Anheuser Busch - St. Louis, MO
Vincent and Elkins - Dallas - Houston - Washington
Motorola - Austin, TX
Cushman Wakefield - Dallas - New York
MGM Grand Hotel & Casino - Las Vegas, NV
Westin - Napa Valley, CA
Equinox Gym & Spa - Dallas, TX
Nordstrom - Portland, OR
Boeing Areospace - St. Louis, MO
Mandarin Oriental - Dallas, TX
Wachovia - Houston, TX
Stroz Friedberg - Dallas, TX - Chicago, TX
Starbucks - Seattle, WA
Gensler Architecture - Dallas, TX
Adera Inc. - Stockholm, Sweden
Tailwater Capital - Dallas, TX Hyatt Hotels - Dallas, TX - Key West, FL
American Financial International - Houston, TX
Mercantile - Dallas, TX
Palms Steakhouse - Palm Springs, CA
Lazarus Property - Dallas, TX
Verve Communications Inc.- Dallas, TX
Ameri-First Securities - Dallas, TX
Oxy Medical, Inc. - Dallas, TX
Arcturus Corporation - Dallas - New York
Credit Unions, Inc. - Phoenix, AZ
Penbrook Capital, Inc. - Dallas, TX
SCA Technologies, Inc. - Dallas, TX
North Texas Wind Symphony - Dallas, TX
Blake Agency, Inc. - Chicago, IL
Art Source, Inc. - Chicago, IL
1401 Elm Place Commission - Dallas, TX
Budco - San Antonio, TX
Wachovia - Houston, TX
1505 Elm - Dallas, TX
McKinney One Place - Dallas, TX
Metallo Design - Hong Kong
Thirty Thirty Bryan - Dallas, TX
Raging Wire - Ashburn, VA
Weinberg Properties - New York City, NY
Vess Oil Corporation - Dallas, TX REPRESENTATION Laura Rathe Fine Art | Houston, TX
Chase Edwards Contemporary | Bridgehampton, NY
The La Jolla Gallery | La Jolla , CA
Samuel Owen Gallery | Greenwich, CT | Nantucket, MA UPCOMING ART FAIRS SOFA Chicago - Chicago, IL, November 3 -6, 2016
Context Art Miami - Miami, FL - November 29 - December 4, 2016
Palm Springs Art Fair - Palms Springs, CA - February 2017
Art Wynwood - Miami, FL - February 2017
Art Hamptons - Bridgehampton, NY - June-July 2017