Martin said the mural is all about celebrating the artists who have paved a way for people in the region to thrive towards their goals. So, when Loretta Lynn’s official Facebook page shared his work, he was shocked.
“At first I thought it was just some fan page or something like that and then I looked at the page and it’s on Loretta’s Facebook. And it just really blew my mind,” said Martin.
Now, he said, he hopes to continue the mural with more artists who have made an impact on the Appalachian narrative.
“I’ve always liked the idea of Appalachian artist around here and seeing people from Chris Stapleton, Boyd Holbrook, and Dwight Yoakam and how they can come from such a small area like this,” he said.
And the shares his work is getting on social media, since Loretta’s team noticed the mural, has him hopeful for his own craft.
“I very much appreciate the public for this too- for appreciating the art. All the supporters that really enjoy my work, I very much appreciate it,” he said. “Hopefully, in the future, it leads to a gate where I can make something out of my name.”
Campbell said the idea is more than fitting for the MAC, where Martin is also an employee, because it represents everything the center is about.
“It’s part of our game plan here at the Mountain Arts Center. You know, ‘Arts’ is our middle name here, so we want to celebrate all the arts and artists in the area,” Campbell said.
Martin is also known in the community for his character makeup (Pennywise from Stephen King’s IT and Voldemort from J.K. Rowling’s Harry Potter) as well as his pencil portraits and sculptures. He said painting murals is a relatively new outlet for him, but he is honored to be able to spice up the space with some stars.
