John Martin Bee Tee

This navy tee shows a drawing by John Martin.

Martin was born in Mississippi in 1963 and spent most of his childhood on his family’s farm in Arkansas. Years later, he moved to Oakland, California to live with his grandmother and aunt, where he began working with Creative Growth in 1987. Martin has always collected watches and keys, and over the past decade built a large collection of found tools. However, his signature images of knives, hammers, and saws go back to his experience as a child on his family’s farm.

Creative Growth is a non-profit art studio that supports artists with developmental disabilities. Their large facility offers resources like a ceramic studio, sewing and quilting equipment, and a range of two-dimensional mediums. Creative Growth also provides a gallery and representation to their artists.