Ever since I was young, art has been a part of my life. My early influences include my immediate family and my early education. Art was always in our home. My parents regularly attended art shows and purchased original art. My grandfather was an art collector and visited with and communed with his artist friends in New York City in the latter half of the 20th century. Art was everywhere.

I grew up in the Midwest, where I have spent most of my life, except for six years in the Northeast. Wherever I have lived, I have had a desire and yearning for spaces and places, how they developed, and where they are going. Here in Illinois, we are surrounded by long stretches of farmland filled with corn and soybeans. We also have post-industrial cities and towns struggling to keep a footing and generate prosperity through economic development. This has been my career and vocation for the past thirty years.

Yet deep inside, something else was always stirring. Something that would allow me to express myself more deeply and in ways that give me happiness and fulfillment. I’ve read the ‘happiness’ books and done the productivity webinars. Nothing in those books or sessions gives me the happiness and freedom I get when I am sketching and coloring my drawings.

I asked myself, “Is this something I should have started years ago?” And I’ve answered that with a resounding, “No.” I was not ready. I could not generate the art I am creating today; life has given me my muse. All my experiences and life have prepared me for the sketches I am producing now.

Today, after a lifetime of chasing business projects, developing real estate, and helping communities build prosperity, I have rededicated myself to creating art. I create art because I find it makes me happy. I can get lost in a drawing or sketch for hours, and the time flies by.

My sketches and drawings are usually of buildings and places I have been to or would like to visit. I would describe them as a “loose” style, not adhering to the straight lines of this world, and suggesting colors and patterns that could exist.

My calling is to bring joy to anyone who sees, feels, or touches my creative endeavors.

I currently live and work in Rockford, Illinois, and you can reach me by emailing me at martinkvanags@gmail.com. I would love to talk to you and work with you if that interests you.