Martha - Original Painting

“Martha”  40” X 30” X 2” Mixed Media on a Cradled Wood Panel, Framed

“Hold your head up, You silly girl, Look what you've done” - The Beatles

Martha unfolds as a measured exploration of form and memory, where the interplay of geometry and texture evokes a dialogue between abstraction and lived experience.

The painting draws inspiration from The Beatles’ song "Martha My Dear," capturing its blend of affectionate intimacy and emotional complexity. Much like the song’s bittersweet reflection on companionship and personal connection, the artwork conveys a nuanced conversation between elements — an interplay of closeness and distance, warmth and restraint. The solitary, realistically rendered eye in the left face suggests attentive care, mirroring the song’s gentle longing, while the structured, angular right face hints at the challenges of communication and the layered dynamics within relationships.

The process incorporates a deliberate fusion of acrylic, ink, and digital collage techniques, creating surfaces rich in contrast and depth that mirror the multiplicity of perspectives captured here. In doing so, the composition invites reflection on the intertwining of personal histories with architectural and natural environments, offering a rarefied sense of place that is at once intimate and expansive.

This piece is part of my ongoing exploration of "Faces and Facades," a series of mixed media paintings where people and places intertwine, with architecture serving as a vessel for unseen narratives. Inspired by a character from a Beatles songs, each work aims to evoke the stories and emotions hidden beneath the surface, inviting viewers to look beyond the obvious and discover the deeper layers within.

This painting is also available as a canvas print 

My mixed media paintings consist of acrylic paint and digital collage. They are painted on museum quality archival paper and then laminated to a cradled wood panel, varnished, waxed and then framed in a black floater frame. 

About the Artist

Frank Trocino is a retired architect turned painter currently residing in Santa Fe New Mexico. His path to Santa Fe began in New York, then to Oregon as a young child through College. From there he lived in Italy, Los Angeles, the Middle East, Portland, and Austin. Franks work can be seen in galleries, hotels, and the homes of private collectors internationally. He is a mixed media artist using acrylic paint, ink and collage and his subject matter is primarily people and buildings.