Nat Creole: Tell us a little about your background and how it influenced your need to create.

Howard Martin: Well I spent the first part of my youth in Jamaica, where I was born. There I learned the need for connection with the spirit. My grandparents and the entire community were intertwined with the local church. So there was a lot of time at church, singing in the morning and saying praises. The 2nd half of my youth was spent growing up in NYC. There I noticed the desire to create, partly because the environment was so new that I needed to get away, not to a physical place, but instead to ideas, drawing comic book characters, making up different games, lettering, designing houses which I envisioned my family would live in someday.

NC: Was the transition from a small environment to the big city difficult?

HW: Yes. You are not only leaving friends and family, but also the eyes with which those people viewed you with.

NC: I believe you won a citywide art competition when you were pretty young. How did it feel when you first received your first recognition for your artistic talent?

HM: It felt great. There was a fairly large reception at the Metropolitan Museum of Art. I have to admit that I was a bit surprised to be among the winners, I didn't really follow the rules of the contest to the letter. The event was sponsored by PBS. I can't remember back that far...I think back then it (PBS) was channel 13

The rules stated that the piece had to be a symbol of New York. I instead did a symbol of California. The judge liked the mix of media and something about “thinking out of the box.”

NC: What led you to the digital art medium? It seems like it was an evolution. Did you work in a lot of other mediums before finding this fit?

HM: At the end of my senior year in high school, I was introduced to an apple computer. We ran a program which spelled your name in letters... or something like that. I caught the bug back then.

When I entered college I began to learn about PCs and CAD programming. I learned a little robotic and pursued computer programming and some pencil drawing for the most part. All the time I was envisioning that I would make my own art on the computer. After a few years of getting comfortable with the technology, I started working. I actually seem to be doing it in reverse; I am now experimenting with different mediums and incorporating them into my digital work. It's getting fun.

NC: Do you feel that you have been ahead of the curve in your effort to create a synthesis between art and technology?

HM: In terms of fine art, I think definitely. I strive to work from a perspective of sharing a feeling or thought with my audience versus overwhelming them with technical eye candy. That balance is fairly unique.

NC: Speaking of that, I find a paradox in your work. The figures that inhabit the images are largely isolated and abstract yet they still give off a palpable energy and are tinged with emotion. Do you agree with this assessment and if so is this a conscious effort on your behalf?

HM: I definitely agree with the assessment. This was first discovered by my customers, they would make the same observation as you. When I design a piece, I design it with movement and it gives off its own energy. The energy seems to come from the emotional space where I am. Surprisingly, sometimes the images know where I am before I realize where I am emotionally.

NC: What direction are you moving in now? Are there any projects that you are currently working on now?

HM: Direction customizing the figures in my work, so for instance I would be able to digitize your face, and design a piece around you. I am also working on combining my working with paint, wood, etc, and looking to extend the 3D with clay sculpture. I'm getting into clay. In addition, I am also doing some commercial work with a photographer, combining digital with photographs.

NC: sound like a busy man, life is good?

HM: Life is great, I looking forward to the new year.

For more information on Howard and Howard's work, visit www.innerportalstudios.com. Howard's work is selling like hotcakes so if you're interested hit him up.