Lin Martinique was born August 13, 1950 in Detroit, Michigan. The eldest of three daughters she displayed artistic talent early on. Her father James had a great interest in music; her mother Elizabeth had creative talent with interior design and fashion. The recurring role of Dance in Martinique’s paintings is from this early connection to her parents and their love of music and dance.
Martinique left Detroit in 1968 to live in Miami. Here she met artist Ginette Petrie and her husband, surrealist painter John Petrie. They were neighbors living in a beautiful Italian Renaissance apartment building called Ancaro. For one year Lin worked as an apprentice to Ginette. In the evenings she painted and developed her own style of painting.
- 1969 – 1972 in New York City while exhibiting in the Greenwich Village Art Festival Martinique met her future husband and fellow artist Lawrence Whittaker.
- 1973-1975 Martinique & Whittaker worked together in Miami at their gallery/studio “The Artist’s Workshop”.
- 1976-1983 Moved to a “Key West style “1919 house with a studio/gallery on the lower level called “The Pearl and the Unicorn Gallery”. This was a meeting place for many gatherings and openings for Martinique’s artwork.
- 1985-1988 Artist is in an exclusive agreement with Fine Art Acquisitions/Dyansen Galleries in New York City. One woman shows in SoHo, New Orleans, Chicago and Los Angeles.
- 1989-1992 one woman shows at The Gallery of Turnberry Isle, Miami.
- 1993-2008 Martinique has exhibited in Fine Art Shows in Chicago, Detroit, Kansas City, Houston, Philadelphia, Atlanta, Miami and the New York ArtExpo.
Currently living in Indiana Lin shares a studio with her husband Larry. Almost forty years later the couple continues to share their passion for painting, travel and exploring the inner landscape through meditation. This discipline provides a rich source of inspiration for their creative expressions.