NOUN Alchemy is defined as the process of taking something ordinary and turning it into something extraordinary, sometimes in a way that cannot be explained.
 

Hilary Martin is a watercolor and pen artist and a New Jersey native. Drawing inspiration from medical illustrations, music, and a passion for biopsychology, her paintings convey a particular unconventional beauty that can often reveal through the darkness. Mycological and botanical underpinnings are often interwoven into her creations to symbolize decay and a rebirth of beauty. These elements encourage the viewer to delve deeper into a painting, beyond a first glance, to uncover the incorporated intricacies within each creation. 
 

As a self-taught artist, her process is equally as unconventional as the motifs juxtaposed within her work. Music and sound are an integral component and are equally as important as the chosen paint or brush. Edgar Allen Poe once wrote, "The orange ray of the spectrum and the buzz of the gnat affect me with nearly similar sensations. In hearing the gnat, I perceive the color. In perceiving the color, I seem to hear the gnat."

In a similar vein, Hilary advantageously utilizes a duality of perception within the underbelly of her work. Referred to as synesthesia, she translates the tonality of musical compositions onto canvas or paper to convey the perceived sense of movement of the line, color, and emotionality she experiences. This synesthetic expression is at the crux of all of her work and forms the backbone of her illustrations that are later embellished upon and built up.

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