Karl Mårtens
Great Grey Owl
Lithograph on Saunders Waterford 356gsm (NOT) watercolour paper
90 x 61 cm
Capturing the majesty and power found in nature
Karl Mårtens was born in San Francisco in 1956, and grew up in Drottningholm, outside of Stockholm, Sweden.
His work focusses specifically on the animal kingdom, intricate paintings of birds painted from memory using watercolour and charcoal on thick hand-made paper.
The background for Karl's style has its roots in his deep interest for the forms of meditation found in Zen Buddhism and the idea that creativity flows best when the mind is emptied of all other thoughts.
Mårtens' style is characterised by his talented use of large Japanese Calligraphy brushes, working quickly in watercolour, his paintings maintain a freshness and immediacy which creates a truly stunning effect.