Location: United States
Martina Goulart was born and raised in the Czech Republic, where her passion for art began at an early age. Though her dream of attending art school was initially deferred, she never lost her creative spark. Moving to the United States became a turning point, where she discovered a culture that embraced art as a lifelong pursuit — a revelation that reignited her passion for painting and set her on the path to becoming a professional artist. Her work is rooted in real places and lived experiences, transforming landscapes into intimate stories that resonate with memory and belonging. Inspired by family adventures, quiet moments in nature, and fleeting glimpses of everyday life, she captures not only the beauty of a place but the emotions it evokes — wonder, nostalgia, and quiet reflection. Viewers often find echoes of their own experiences or are inspired to imagine new adventures. As she reflects, “Each painting is an invitation to remember, explore, and connect — to the world around us and to one another.” Through her paintings, Martina continues to explore the connections between people, place, and memory. Her work celebrates the beauty and complexity of the natural world, the richness of everyday life, and the stories that unfold in the spaces we inhabit. Each piece is an invitation to pause, reflect, and engage with the landscapes and moments that shape our lives.
Paintings inspired by adventures and the beauty of Monterey Bay and Santa Cruz Mountains.
Set against the glow of a Santa Cruz sunset, Safe Harbor tells the story of return. A young girl drifts back toward the harbor in her red paper boat — a vessel of imagination, daring, and adventure. The lighthouse stands steady at the edge of the scene, a quiet reminder of constancy amid the changing tides.
This painting speaks to the rhythm of exploration and belonging: the wild joy of setting out, and the deep comfort of finding your way home. Safe Harbor captures that moment between journeys — where adventure pauses, and safety, warmth, and rest are waiting.
“The Duck, the Dog, and the Sea”
This painting was inspired by Dog Beach on the West Side of Santa Cruz — a place where dogs have the rare gift of their very own shoreline to explore. Here, play turns into adventure: the dog came chasing his ball, but found something unexpected in the tide — a lone rubber duck.
It’s a lighthearted yet thoughtful moment, capturing the joy of curiosity and the small discoveries that make every outing to the beach feel like a story.
Set in Felton’s historic Roaring Camp Railroads, this painting weaves together memory, history, and imagination. The old steam engine waits at the station, ready to pull cars of passengers into the towering redwoods — a journey that has enchanted generations. In the foreground, a young girl lies on the ground, absorbed in play with a toy train, her small world mirroring the grand adventure about to depart. Adventure Line is a tribute to a beloved local landmark and to the way childhood wonder turns places into lasting memories.
Inspired by Monterey Bay, Worlds Between reimagines familiar landmarks and sea life through the lens of imagination — where the everyday shoreline becomes a place of wonder.
A young girl sits at the edge of the beach, gazing upward as a sea turtle drifts through the sky — as if the ocean itself had risen above her, luminous and alive. Below her feet is sand, above her waves, and beyond her the glowing Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk rises like a beacon of memory.
This piece is about dreams and endless possibility, where imagination turns the ordinary into the extraordinary. It celebrates the magic of play, the wonder of light emerging from darkness, and the timeless joy of Santa Cruz’s seaside landmark — a place where reality itself feels like a dream.
The Monterey pier rises against the horizon, its houses perched above the tide, while the sky itself shifts into something more fluid. Seals drift overhead as if swimming through air, their presence folding sea and sky into one. Below, two silhouettes lean quietly over the water, absorbed in the rhythm of fishing — a moment that feels both fleeting and timeless.
This painting reflects how a place holds memory, where the lives of the sea, the human presence, and the pull of the tide move together, leaving behind echoes long after the day is done.
“When the Night Learnt to Dream”
On the beach below Pigeon Point Lighthouse, children gather around a bonfire, their faces lit by firelight and friendship. Above them, the beam of the lighthouse becomes a portal to wonder — a whale emerges from its glow, kelp drifting in the night sky as though the ocean had risen overhead.
This piece is about the magic of stories shared together, the warmth of memory, and the way imagination can turn even the darkest night into a place of light and possibility. When the Night Learnt to Dream is a celebration of friendship, wonder, and the dreams we carry forward from the moments we share.
“Safe Harbor”
“The Adventure Line”
“Magical Santa Cruz”
“Echoes of Monterey”
