Martha Canum

Click images to see artist's work.

Martha Canum is one of many Colorado natives who just isn't quite as happy anyplace else! She has always loved being outside, and as a gardener from a young age, she always found great joy in the flowers and plants she now loves to paint. There have been short interludes of living in new places. Martha spent over a year teaching English and painting in Japan. She also had the opportunity to spend time in the Netherlands with the Billy Graham Convocation of Itinerate Evangelists, serving as a steward. She also homeschooled a granddaughter in France for 10 weeks, not far from the many galleries in Paris. She was also able to visit China, Haiti, and Bermuda. Four years in California introduced her to the more tropical types of plants. All of these opportunities presented vastly different experiences...honing the observation skills it takes to keep her paintings filled with life and interest.

Martha majored in Art at the University of Northern Colorado. For a time, she set her artistic career aside to devote herself to her marriage and family. But, for an artist, no time is lost time. All of life's experiences can become a grand resource file for the creative mind, and are used to develop sensitivity and those obversation skills which are so vital to the artist. But picking up the brush again can be frightening. Martha found that by taking workshops and classes from both local and nationally known artists she gained the courage she needed to start again with her love (that was never lost) for color, shape, and feeling. She hopes that others will get as much joy from seeing her work as she does from producing them.

Flowers must have been given to bring joy to man just as we often use them now. Because I was allowed to grow them as a young person, they have been a special joy to me (after the weeds were taken care of, of course). Attempting to portray them for others enjoyment is my goal.

It is my desire to be centered in, to serve and to be kept by, the Creator. (Col. 1:9-20). Each painting hopefully reflects this joy of Creation. I don't care to depict the sometimes hopelessness we see. That will be left to others. HE, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, is my inspiration. He makes it happen---without Him I can do nothing, but with Him, all is possible. Phil. 4:13.