Chatter fills the air inside the neon art-lined walls of Studio San Martian. People sit at paint-covered folding tables and pour acrylic paint on canvases as they learn a new style of art in the process.
Studio San Martian will host a Fluid Art Workshop guided by the local artist MJ, who plans to share the techniques and nuances of the artistic medium with the community. Fluid art is an artistic medium that consists of strategically pouring acrylic paint on a canvas to make an abstract piece of art. Changing the consistency of the paint and the pouring technique produces different results.
MJ has been doing fluid paintings since 2018. MJ typically uses fluid art as backgrounds for paintings or collages. She is drawn to fluid art because of its unique texture, which she believes creates a fascinating sense of movement and complexity inside of the piece.
“Texture is everything,” MJ said. “I feel like if you have a really interesting visual texture, your piece is going to have so much more depth and intensity to it. It’s going to really make your eye move around the entire painting.”
MJ moved to San Marcos this last October and was introduced to Studio San Martian by a friend and Studio San Martian manager Rami. With Rami’s help, MJ became a part of Studio San Martian’s community and started hosting some of the workshops for the studio. She also hosts jewelry workshops.
As well as being a way for the studio to profit, the studio’s co-founder Kelly Huckaby sees the workshops as being a resource for the community to get involved in creating art.
“Maybe they’re interested in painting that and they’re just painting alone at home and getting discouraged,” Huckaby said. “So we wanted to be able to be those people that you could come to first.”
Studio San Martian started in 2018 as a cooperative art space that functioned as a normal studio. Over time Huckaby incorporated other types of artistic expression, hosting fire spinners and DJs. These events attracted more artists to the studio which led to more community events. The increased demand led to frequent events and the creation of a unique artistic community within the walls of the studio.
“We’re just trying to have an event going on almost every day,” Rami said. “Whether that be an art workshop or a music event or talent show, just anything where people can express themselves all the time and to just have a safe space for that.”
The friendships and network inside of the studio encourage artists to get involved and volunteer for events. Huckaby is thankful for the volunteers who help set up the events because without them the almost daily events would be impossible. In her eyes, the “Martians” create a special place through the effort they put in.
“I feel like we have our own special little band of weirdos … you know, we chose the name San Martian because people that are kind of like the funny ones and the weird ones or the black sheeps or the like, and the people that we want to shine a beacon to,” Huckaby said.
Before Studio San Martian, Huckaby worked at a now-defunct art studio in New Braunfels which hosted classes and workshops. While working there, she learned how to teach a workshop and about the financial benefits of hosting one, both for the business and the instructor.
Her instructing experience was a guideline for the structure of workshops at Studio San Martian which is meant to be a fun introduction to the art form being taught. The studio hosts workshops for a wide variety of art styles and mediums with the intent to create an enjoyable experience for anyone.
MJ enjoys hosting the workshops to be able to share her art form with others and to also make some extra income from hosting the workshop. She hopes that she can help people find a way to make art that they want to share with their loved ones, and she hopes that the art she teaches them brings them a sense of peace.
“When [people who attend the workshop] are stressed, maybe they can make a fluid art painting or sit and play with some jewelry and beat some necklaces for a few hours,” MJ said. “I mean, that’s the best thing that I could hope people take from the workshops.”
The event costs $25 for paint and 2 canvases and will take place at 7 p.m. on Jan. 20, at Studio San Martian located at 1904 Old Ranch Road.
To sign up or learn more about Studio San Martian, visit https://www.studiosanmartian.com/.
