Featured Artist: Brad Martin
My name is Brad Martin. I am an artist/designer. My medium is leather and my forte is carving and tooling original works of art. I grew up in North Carolina and my father and mother were huge influences in my continuing education and choice of vocation.
Always the "Class Artist" in school, I began tooling leather in 1967. In the 1970s I opened a leather shop where I did belts, sandals, bags, repair work, restored antiques, classic cars - anything and everything. Designing and tooling leather was always my strong suit, so in the 80's and 90's I entered and won every major national and international leather competition that I could find.
I have been working with Falconhead Boot Company (in Los Angeles, CA) since the early 90's, designing and tooling one-of-a-kind cowboy boots for movie stars and other celebrities. In 1997 I married the love of my life, Donna, and in 2002 moved to Taos to pursue my passion - to educate and elevate the medium of leather carving to a fine art status.
I've always happily engaged myself in exhaustive studies of indigenous cultures - Japanese, Chinese, Mayan, Egyptian, and especially Native American - predominantly their art forms, lifestyle, and religion. I find myself drawn to common connective aspects of life fostered by family and spirituality, the very essence of humanity. This is an unending source of art and fascination for me - an ever changing and expanding potential that proves the old adage, "The more you learn, the more you realize there is to learn!"
See Brad Martin being interviewed by TravelGuide New Mexico here.
Contact Information:
Brad Martin
1-575-751-7727
