Artist Statement
My art is a reflection of the people who matter most in my life: my family, my friends, and other cherished relationships that have defined me as a person. I mainly use colored pencils as my primary medium, but I like to dwell into mixed media and as the world progresses I have started to learn digital art. With that, I make realistic portraits, capturing not only the physical likenesses but also the emotional depth of my subjects. Whether I’m drawing my grandparents, friends, or even self-portraits, each piece is personal to me.
Drawing has always been my greatest passion and primary artistic focus. I take pride in being able to bring my portraits to life. While I prefer drawing over painting, I’m heavily inspired by famous painters like Vincent Valdez and Bo Bartlett. Their ability to tell powerful stories through realistic imagery inspires my work. Their stories are vastly different as to what they create and why, but their realistic works bring people I don’t know to life. My current project I’m working on is 8x12 portraits of my grandparents on both my maternal and paternal side. Each portrait has a base coat of different foods that resonate with each family member, such as coffee for my maternal grandfather and salsa for my paternal grandfather. Once the bases have dried, I go in with colored pencils to draw their portraits on top of the base. I wanted the base to be foods that remind me of them. My maternal grandfather makes the best coffee, I could never make coffee the same as him so whenever I see coffee I always think of him.
My academic journey has been important to my artistic growth. I hold an Associate’s degree in Fine Arts from Northwest Vista College and I am currently pursuing a Bachelor’s degree in Fine Arts with a concentration in Drawing and a minor in Art History at the University of Texas at San Antonio. My dedication to both my studies and my art has recently earned me a place on the College of Liberal and Fine Arts Dean’s List at UTSA. The recognition itself motivates me to continue to excel in school and in my artwork.
Each portrait I create is more than just a simple realistic portrait of someone. It’s a celebration of life, love, and legacy. My work is driven by a desire to preserve the people and the memories along with them that make us who we are. I want to connect my viewers to the universal themes of family, love, and Identity.
Biography
Julia Martinez is an artist born and raised in San Antonio, Texas. She is a passionate artist whose work is deeply rooted in family themes and the charming memories of growing up in a Hispanic household. She currently resides in her hometown that also influences her artistic vision by infusing the traditions and spirit of her hometown into her own work. Julia holds an Associate's degree in Fine Arts from Northwest Vista College and is on track to graduate with a Bachelor of Fine Arts, concentrating in Drawing, from the University of Texas at San Antonio in the upcoming fall of 2025. She has a realistic style that’s brought to life through the medium of Prismacolor pencils and Copic markers. With that, she’s able to capture the spirit of her loved ones with an intimate and deeply felt perspective. Inspired by the American painter Bo Bartlett as well as her own family and cultural upbringing, Julia aims to showcase a personal message regarding family and love to others by sharing her own vision of family and inspiring others to see the beauty in their own lives.