MARY BALDASANO / Special to the PVT Lloyd Martin proudly holds one of his landscapes. Advertisement

Painting is one artistic talent that can be personal, emotional, passionate and depressing all at the same time.

An artist can project those emotions on canvas, but rarely can they help the viewer see their intent. Lloyd Martin is a highly talented artist. "It's a hobby," he said.

And when you look at his paintings, you see exactly what he intended you to see. A period, an event in history, the beauty of nature, or just a worn-out truck -- that is all he wants you to see.

There is no hidden moral concept, seeking pity, nothing to confuse the viewer, no lack of substance in reality. He paints it simply and wants viewers to look at it simply.

There are many sides to Martin that are not visible. He worked most of his life in Las Vegas as a maintenance employee for the Stardust Hotel Casino. He is a veteran of the U.S. Navy and is a cancer survivor.

But he keeps references to his background as humble and simple as his art: no brag, just fact.

He bought land in Pahrump in 1983 and upon retirement built a home and moved here in 2003.

Martin has been involved with the Pahrump Arts Council (PAC) for several years and is an active participant in the annual Art and Sol event.

He has been a member of other art councils in Boulder City and Henderson, but due to the distance has trimmed back his commitments to the PAC only.

"When I retired, I wanted to be close to Las Vegas because I love the Southwest, but I wanted to be in a small, quiet town. Pahrump was just right," said Martin.

Martin uses mostly watercolors and oils for his paintings but will use pastels on occasion as well as air-brush acrylics. To freeze a moment in time for a future painting, he takes pictures as he drives around Nevada and other places or paints on scene.

Looking at his paintings, the first thing you notice is their realism.

Color and texture are "right there" in a given scene. Some artists get so involved and emotional about their paintings that they tend to forget why they are painting -- for the viewer.

A unique use of regular table salt can appear as gravel, cobblestones or even whitecaps on water. The technique gives a beautiful presentation of reality.

Perspective in a painting is essential to the believability of the "story" it tells. If the intended subject is small, yet the background is large and loud, one may become confused as to the purpose of the painting.

Martin avoids this problem by actually painting what he sees at a particular point in time. In a landscape, he paints the scene as nature projects it, not what he thought it should look like.

Martin's paintings are simple and wonderful and a delight to view. He will be showing his art at the Pahrump Museum soon, so watch this newspaper for information.

For young people, Martin said, "Draw as much as you can, as that is where it all starts." He also recommended that they attend workshops as often as possible. "Challenge yourself in your weak areas, don't ignore them, they won't go away," added Martin.

Martin can be reached through the PAC office at 775-751-5282.