Upon my desk I have a picture frame which holds eight photos. I call it my “Frame of Smiles,” because regardless of how rough the day has been, no matter what is going on in my life, all I need do is look at those pictures and a smile is provoked. The photos are quite random. Family, friends, events…the only thing they have in common is their ability to make me smile.

One of the photos is a headshot I stole from the Facebook page of my friend, Jennifer. An exceedingly talented artist in her own right, I met Jen way back in middle school. We’ve managed to keep in touch over the years, though we haven’t seen one another since high school. When I saw this particular picture, it spoke to me as it not only represents the woman she’s become, but I see so many of the qualities I remember from the years gone by. And so, it was added to my “Frame of Smiles.”

I can’t adequately explain exactly what made me want to paint it. In my own opinion, I am not a very good artist when it comes to painting or drawing realistic works. I’m far more satisfied with my abstractions. But as I looked at my “Frame of Smiles,” and gazed upon those eight photos, there was just something about Jen’s picture this particular day which moved me creatively.

The end result is a piece I call “When Artist Becomes Art.” I then set out to share it here, on my blog. I began writing an accompanying post, and noticed it was coming out in an almost lyrical way. So I scrapped my blog post (what you are now reading is actually a second draft), and instead wrote a poem to serve as a companion to the drawing.

I hope you enjoy them both…

When Artist Becomes Art – poem and art by Enrique Martinez

One never knows from where inspiration may come.
It may be a song or melody
That stirs the soul.
Other times it could be words spoken
Which cause creative juices to burst forth.
Then there are those instances
In which something seen exhibits such beauty,
the beauty itself transforms into creative energy.
Into inspiration.
Becoming a muse.

Long ago, in fact so long ago
It seems as if a lifetime away,
I met a young girl.
A talented musician even back then,
That girl has grown to become
An exceptional woman
Whose hunger for the arts
Compels her to seek out it all:
Theater, music, poetry, painting…
Each is its own endeavor
To quench her thirst,
Yet simultaneously inciting
A deep longing for more.
With each new piece,
Each new verse,
Her light exudes from within
Making the world,
And herself,
Even more beautiful than before.
That beauty has been transformed
Into creative energy.
Into inspiration.
The artist has become art.