About the Artist
Jody Martin PSA, IAPS/MC
Born in Lubbock, Texas, Jody is the daughter of the late Conny Martin, artist, and C.B. Martin, builder, photographer, and watercolorist. Always passionate about art, Jody never doubted that she would become an artist. She earned her degree in art from Abilene Christian University, and went on to study painting under Hall of Fame artists, Daniel Greene and Emily Guthrie Smith. She values most the education she received from her mother, Conny Martin. Under Conny's tutelage she learned classical drawing and contemporary design.
At 15, she did her first portrait, a pencil drawing of Michael Landon, which he signed. It hangs in her studio.
While in college, Jody started teaching children’s art classes, a pursuit she would continue throughout her adult life. After college, Jody moved to Dallas and began work as a studio artist, doing mostly commissioned paintings and drawings, focusing on portraiture.
In the mid 70s Jody spent a month on the Peter Hurd Ranch in New Mexico, painting in preparation for a solo exhibit. Her favorite memories were visiting with Henriette Wyeth while she painted in her studio and riding horses through the Hondo Valley with Peter Hurd as he showed her the subject matter of many of his paintings, including the iconic water tank.
During the '90s Jody worked as a muralist and was a member of the Decorative Artisans' Guild. She worked with builders and many interior designers, including Rutherford's Design Studio of Dallas, which housed one of her murals.
Her love of teaching led her to accept an opportunity with the Carrollton-Farmers Branch ISD where she taught art from 1999 to 2015. Many of her students have become the subjects of her paintings. She loved helping them learn to see the world through artists’ eyes. She was passionate about teaching them to believe in themselves and to create from their hearts.
Jody and her husband, Jim, moved to Kyle, Texas in 2018 to be close to their grandchildren, who are now the subjects of many of her paintings. In addition to painting, Jody conducts workshops and drawing classes.
Publications:
Pratique des Arts Magazine, L'humanite d'abord, September 2022
Pastel Journal, Pastel 100 Winners, Pastel Bronze Award, A Portrait of Sincerity, April 2022
Southwest Art Magazine, Texas Artists, Feb/Mar 2022
Richeson75 International-Portraits/Figures 2021
Plein Air Magazine, Pastel Spotlight, September 2021
Richeson75 International-Landscapes, Seascapes & Architecture 2022
American Art Collector Magazine; Collectors' Focus: Citiscapes, February 2018
North Light Book's Strokes of Genius 10, Inspiring Subjects 2018
Better Homes and Gardens
Dallas Morning News
Selected Showings:
Solo and group exhibits in various Texas cities
Catherine Lorillard Wolfe Art Club at the National Arts Club Gallery in New York
Art on the Llano Estacado, Texas Tech Museum 2018 - 2024, and Legacy Artist in 2025
Allied Artists of America
American Impressionist Society
International Association of Pastel Societies
American Women Artists
Mid America Pastel Society
Pastel Society of America
Pastel Society of the West Coast
Connecticut Pastel Society
Pastel Society of New Mexico
Pastel Society of Southern California
Texas & Neighbors
Bosque Art Classic
Rising Star, Oak Cliff Fine Arts Society
Awards:
Selected as the Legacy Artist for the 2025 Art on the Llano Estacado at the Texas Tech Museum
Bronze Award-Pastel 100, Artists Network 2021
Bold Brush International Competition - Outstanding Pastel & Fav 15 June 2023
Finalist, Plein Air Salon, 2nd Place Overall, January 2023
Richeson75 Landscapes, Seascapes & Architecture 2023
Eleanor B. Coble Award of Figurative Excellence, Arizona Pastel Artists Association 2022
Dakota Pastels Honorable Mention, 1st & 3rd Quarter 2022
Rockport Center for the Arts, Master Artist Finalist 2022
Bold Brush International Competition, "Fav 15" January, February, & September
Terry Ludwig Award, Connecticut Pastel Society, 28th National Open 2021
Finalist, Richeson75 Portraits/Figures 2021
Meritorious Selection, Richeson75/Animals Birds & Wildlife 2021
Finalist, Richeson75/Portraits & Figures 2021
Portrait/Figure Award - Pastel Society of the Southwest 2021
Second Place in Contemporary Impressionism, Pastel Society of the West Coast, 99 Voices 2021
Second Place, Pastel Society of Southeast Texas 2021
Merchandise Award, Austin Pastel Society 2021
Merit Award, Central Texas Pastel Society Annual Membership Show 2021
Second Place, Pastel Society of the West Coast, 35th Pastels USA 2021
Austin Pastel Society, “Celebrating Pastels” UArt Award 2021
Bold Brush International Competition - Honorable Mention and multiple "Fav 15" Awards 2021
Richeson 75 Landscapes, Seascapes & Architecture, Meritorious Selection 2020
Merit Portrait Award, Central Texas Pastel Society 2020
People’s Choice Merit Award, Pastel Society of Southeast Texas 2020
“FAV 15”, Bold Brush International Competition, September 2020
People's Choice Award, Austin Pastel Society 2020
Merit Award, Pastel Society of the Southwest 2020
Austin Pastel Society, Merchant Award 2020
Merchandise Award, Austin Pastel Society Membership Show 2019
Chosen for Art In Public Places, Bastrop, Texas 2019
Gold Medal Award for Pastels, Bosque Art Classic 2018
Finalist, Strokes of Genius 10: Inspiring Subjects 2017
Award of Excellence - Pastel Society of New Mexico Juried Membership Show, Santa Fe, NM 2017
First Place, Central Texas Pastel Society Annual Juried Exhibit 2017
Best of Show, Austin Pastel Society Annual Juried Exhibit 2017
First Place, Central Texas Pastel Society Juried Membership Show 2017
“FAV 15”, Bold Brush International Competition, May, October & November 2017
Second Place, Oils, Irving Art Association Juried Membership Show 2017
“FAV 15”, Bold Brush International Competition, May & October 2017
Finalist “Unique By Nature” $6,000 purchase prize, McKinney Performing Arts Association, 2016
Third Place, Central Texas Pastel Society Annual Membership Show, 2016
Selected by Russell Tether of Russell Tether Fine Arts Associates for the "Rising Star" Exhibition 2016
Honorable Mention, Austin Pastel Society 2016
Third Place, Central Texas Pastel Society 2016
Selected Associations:
Pastel Society of America, Signature Member
International Association of Pastel Societies, Master Circle
American Impressionist Society
American Women Artists, Associate of Distinction
Austin Pastel Society, Signature Member
Pastel Society of the Southwest, Signature Member
Outdoor Painters Society
Allied Artists of America
Other family artists: Jody’s maternal grandmother, Lola McDonald, did a few oil paintings in her youth which were exceptional, and though she didn’t pursue her art, she definitely had the talent. That gift was passed on to her daughters Conny Martin and Betty Peak. On the Martin side, Jody’s father, C.B. Martin and uncle, Byron Martin, were both water color artists. Other family members carry on the passion for painting, drawing, sculpture, assemblage, and photography.
Of Conny Martin, Jody says, “My mother was larger than life. She was the most amazing person I’ve ever known; so full of joy and excitement over the little things, the textures and colors that surround us, the beauty that can be found in old and weathered things, and the thrill of making a painting “sing”. She taught me to sing in harmony and to love many different genres of music. She filled my life with fun and adventure, and most importantly, I learned from her the love of my Savior, Jesus Christ, and how that love influences the way I value my relationships and every person I meet."
Conny Martin was a driving force for art in the southwest with her impressive record of exhibition (35 solo exhibitions and numerous group shows), her involvement in community arts and public works (active in the Lubbock Art Association from its early days and three terms as president), and her years of art instruction for youth and adult students, including renowned sculptor, Glenna Goodacre (Vietnam Women’s Memorial in Washngton D.C., the Sacagawea US dollar, and the Irish Memorial in Philadelphia).
Two of Conny’s major installations include The World of Genghis and Kubilai Kahn, a fourteen-painting series in the Texas Tech University International Cultural Center in Lubbock, Texas, and a diorama in the Pioneer Memorial Museum in Crosbyton, Texas, depicting Crosby County in the 1800s.
To see Conny Martin's work, visit: https://www.connymartin.com
