Artist of the Month: March 2018
Local visual artist Philip Martin has created an original oil painting of one of Coronado’s most illustrious citizens – John D. Spreckels. The artist was inspired to create the portrait by the 2018 John D. Spreckels Exhibition planned by the Coronado Historical Association.
Martin began his artistic career in the 1960s studying at Long Beach State and UCLA, graduating with a degree in fine arts. In 2001, after retiring from a successful career in business, Phil returned to his passion – art. Martin has studied with the late James Wasil, Jacqueline Nicolini and most recently in Lucerne, Switzerland with Christiane Kutra-Hauri. Art lovers from New York, San Francisco, San Diego and Switzerland have added Martin’s work to their collections.
Traveling and studying a year in Switzerland, Germany, Italy, France and Spain has influenced, inspired and broadened his drawings and paintings. Mr. Martin is a local Coronado artist and has been a featured artist in three shows at the C3 Gallery in the Coronado Community Center, was juried to have a banner in the inaugural Coronado Celebrates Local Artists banners on Orange Avenue in 2017 and has been an active volunteer for the Cultural Arts Commission since 2015.
Most recently, Martin’s work was featured at “Book Alive” at the Friends of the Library Night at the Library on February 2, 2018. Martin completed the Spreckels’ portrait project in late 2017. The Cultural Arts Commission recently voted to recommend the purchase of the painting for inclusion in the City’s permanent public art collection with a donation offered by a local family. The City Council will consider the recommendation in an upcoming City Council meeting. In the meantime, the portrait is on loan by the artist to the Coronado Historical Association and is featured in their new exhibition “John D. Spreckels: The Man the Legacy.”
To learn more about Phil, watch the video interview below!
