Today we’d like to introduce you to Martina Sestakova.
Hi Martina, thanks for joining us today. We’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
My name is Martina Sestakova and am an artist based in Kensington, Md. I am original from Prague, Czech Republic, but have lived in the United States for over 24 years. I have a small business called RADOST (which is the Czech word for joy). I focus on three things: wearable art, art education, and original paintings in the Healing Garden series. I have been running my business for 10 years and it’s been so much fun: a great variety of experiences. And, I have gotten to meet so many interesting people. Today, I am fortunate to travel and explore and then incorporate the beautiful sights in my creations. For example, a recent trip to Alaska is becoming an inspiration for a new scarf (in my wearable art series) and acrylic on canvas artworks (in the Healing Garden series). I enjoy working in my studio and bouncing ideas with my fellow artist friends and clients.
I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
Yes and no. As a small business owner, I take care of a wide variety of activities: production, accounting, distribution, promotion. What to create and for who? Do I know the latest business laws in Maryland? What if something is too much money to ship? How do I make myself known to my potential clients? So many questions! It can be a lot but along the way, I have found that asking for help, well, helps. I meet with friends to bounce idea about how to run our businesses and it is incredibly valuable. I have learned to reach out to people I believe are experts in a certain field and learn from them. My everyday life is full of lessons I keep learning from the art community in the DMV.
Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
At the moment, I focus on the symbolism of flowers and gardens as emotional sanctuaries—spaces of joy, wonder, comfort, and safety. To create my Healing Garden series, I capture my surroundings in photographs and use them as the starting point for my paintings. I paint in acrylics on Yupo and canvas, allowing the original image to evolve into something more expressive, colorful, and energetic. While my inspiration is rooted in cherished memories of my grandmother’s garden in Prague, today, my joyful paintings are inspired by my travels. I create to calm my nervous system and to embrace everyday life with gentleness and resiliency. What began as a personal reflection has grown into something I could not have anticipated: lively conversations with family, friends, and neighbors about what gardens mean to them. Through these artworks, I have discovered that a garden can be more than a place—it can hold memories, create connection, and offer a sense of healing. This series has had a great response from the public and is quickly becoming my most known series yet. I am proud of the works – they honor my grandmother’s garden (and the lovely childhood she created for me), keep me grounded in the present, and give me a strong sense of hope for the future.
What was your favorite childhood memory?
Ha! I have so many! I grew up in a house with a beautiful garden with my parents, brother, and grandparents. My grandmother, in particular, has turned out to be essential to how I live and what values I hold today. There were fresh vegetables, flowers, air. Meals cooked from scratch. Lazy sunny afternoons under the pear tree. Grandma calling the grand kids to the house for lunch. So, while I don’t have a particular favorite childhood memory, I deeply cherish feeling safe and joyous in the garden. And that is a treasure to behold.
Pricing:
- $46-$395
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.radostbymartinasestakova.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/radostbymartinasestakova/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/radostbymartinasestakova
