My Narrative: Works by Linda F. Martin
Clare Gallery
St. Patrick - St. Anthony Church
Hartford
March 20, 2026
Every once in a while, I come across an exhibit that reminds me of what art can be.
Art can be soothing, uplifting, depressing, humorous. It can be all those things at the same time. Art can also be challenging and cacophonous. It can push us to look or listen over and over to understand. Those exhibits that present new ideas can be the most rewarding.
I don’t know if Linda F. Martin planned to challenge viewers with her quilts. Her work is on display in a new exhibit at the Clare Gallery at St. Patrick-St. Anthony Church in Hartford. As exquisite as the embroidery of her art is, the most enjoyable aspect of viewing her quilts is watching how sometimes disparate parts form an electric whole.
Martin already had a successful career in education administration by the time she started her first quilt in 2010. According to her website, Martin has been sewing since grade school, modifying her clothing and decorating her home. So the art has been a part of her life all along. Her constant practice coalesced into a style that pulses with vibrancy and artistic merit.
The most consistent trait of Martin’s work is her use of color almost like a weapon. She shocks the viewer with splashes of color in places they’re not supposed to be – why is there red in the forehead of the woman in Being Happy?. But as I continued to look at the quilt I could see that even the surprising use of red, orange, peach, copper, bronze all had their own pattern and internal consistency. Her skin color is ripe and bountiful, beaming with joy and color.
Again, red makes a daring appearance, drawing the eye to the cheek of the woman in profile. Her expression is not joyous like the previous piece, and the colors of the quilt reflect that. Instead of warmth, the different materials that comprise the woman’s face exude belligerence. The eruption of red looks like an injury, and the woman who bears it is shrieking in response. A fiery orange globule directly beneath her nose conveys sadness with novelty. Instead of tears streaking across her face, it’s snot instead, a fluid as connected to misery as tears but one often ignored.
The level of detail present in Martin’s work would be impressive in any medium, but the quilts possess a texture and tactility that makes each image crackle with energy. Upon close inspection, it’s possible to see the individual threads and materials that comprise the whole, and it makes the work even more fantastic. Each strand holds a part of the whole’s potential.
Martin’s art is offensive, in the sense that it strikes at you first when you come in contact with it. Her work demands noticing and interaction, not passive absorption. Her quilts are remarkable, and deserve to be seen firsthand.
NEXT
My Narrative: Works by Linda F. Martin will be shown at the Clare Gallery through May 10. A virtual artist’s talk will be held on Monday, March 23.
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