Marine to art major: ‘Art never really stopped for me, even while at war’

Edna Martinez is not your typical art major at Augusta University.

Born in Mexico, her family moved to Las Vegas when she was only 3 years old. While she had many interests growing up as a child, art was always a constant.

“I’ve done art ever since I was a kid, since I was really little,” said Martinez, who accepted her degree in art from Augusta University this spring. “I think it’s a family thing. My dad is an artist. He doesn’t call himself one, but he is. And most of my mom’s side of the family, they’re musicians or some sort of artist. So, I think it’s just in my blood.”

But after high school, Martinez’s life took a completely different path.

“I joined the Marine Corps when I was 18,” Martinez said. “I went on deployments while I was there to Afghanistan. And I was in the Marine Corps for four years.”

When people learn that she served as a Marine, Martinez acknowledges that most are surprised.

“I’m pretty laid back, so when I tell people that I was in the Marine Corps, they don’t really believe it at first,” Martinez said, smiling. “I was in the Marine Corps from 2010 to 2014, and I deployed twice to Afghanistan, once when I was 19, and then I turned 21 out there. But even while I was out there, my family sent me a sketchbook. They sent me pencils to draw with. And even while I was out there, I was trying to work on making portraits and drawing for other Marines. Art never really stopped for me, even while I was at war.”

Turning to art

After serving in the Marine Corps, Martinez moved to Augusta with her then-partner and took a well-paying job at then Fort Gordon, now Fort Eisenhower. Despite earning enough money to buy a nice house in the Summerville neighborhood, Martinez admits she wasn’t happy.

“I really didn’t like the job. In fact, I hated it. It was really depressing,” Martinez said, explaining that doing intel for the military was extremely stressful. “So, I decided I was going to take another job in Florida.”

Initially, when she applied for the new job in Florida, the position did not require a bachelor’s degree.

“But I had to wait to get a clearance for the job. So, after waiting that amount of time, they renewed the contract and suddenly I needed a degree,” Martinez said. “I think it’s funny how things worked out because, by this point, I had just bought a house here. And so I was like, ‘Well, I guess I’ll go get a degree in art. Augusta University is just around the corner from my house. I’ll just get an art degree, and it’ll be fine.’ And then, to my surprise, I fell in love with it.”

“Making art in general has been very therapeutic for me. It’s taken on a form of therapy for me as well. It’s not just a passion anymore. It’s become a necessity.”

Edna Martinez, art graduate

Taking a variety of art classes including drawing and ceramics, Martinez was able to look at her world in a new light.

“I realized I was miserable at my job, and I really enjoyed art, and it helped me open up and get in touch with some feelings that I was having,” she said. “I know this sounds really cheesy, but it helped me get in touch with my emotions. I realized exactly how miserable I was at my job there and how much I didn’t want to take the job in Florida.

“So, even though I had gotten the clearance, I quit my job. I took a really big pay cut, but it was worth it. I got a job as a barista and started art school,” Martinez added, laughing. “I know, it’s the big cliché.”

But through that experience, Martinez said she learned an important lesson: Not only did she love art. She needed it.

“Making art in general has been very therapeutic for me,” she said. “It’s definitely been necessary. That’s why I love ceramics so much. I can just immerse myself in what I’m doing on the wheel, and I don’t have to worry about anything else. And it’s taken on a form of therapy for me as well. It’s not just a passion anymore. It’s become a necessity.”

In fact, Martinez said she was recently diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder following her service in the Marine Corps.

“Art has been a form of therapy for me more than ever this semester as I started treatment for PTSD and needed a way to decompress,” she said. “Art has literally saved my life at this point.”

Exploring medical illustration

Back when she was still working on base at Fort Eisenhower, a friend happened to tell her about the medical illustration program at Augusta University. Established in 1948, Augusta University has the oldest graduate program in medical illustration in the world.

The medical illustration program has been continuously accredited since 1967, and it is one of just four programs in North America accredited by the Commission on Accreditation of Allied Health Education Programs.

“I joined the Marine Corps when I was 18. I went on deployments while I was there to Afghanistan. And I was in the Marine Corps for four years.”

Edna Martinez, art graduate

“After I heard about it, I thought, ‘Well, I mean, I’m already here taking art, I might as well try.’ And that’s where I’m at now,” Martinez said. “I’ll apply to the medical illustration program this fall, so hopefully in the spring I’ll start my master’s degree here. Fingers crossed.”

But before she has even applied to the medical illustration program, Martinez has already become a published illustrator. Earlier this year, she had an illustration published in an Augusta University anatomy atlas titled, “Anatomy and Physiology I: An Interactive Histology Atlas.”

Martinez said she has always enjoyed studying anatomy, even as a young child.

“When I was a kid, I used to walk around with an encyclopedia that had the anatomy portion in it. There were a bunch of clear pages stacked on one another. And you could flip through every system in the human body,” Martinez said. “I used to carry that encyclopedia around and just look at the art in it.”

A master’s degree in medical illustration would be the best of both worlds, Martinez said.

“After looking at the medical illustration program, I realized, ‘Oh, you can mix art and medicine together,’” she said. “I think my love for anatomy when I was a kid and learning about the body and learning about animals and how everything works, plus my love for art, just kind of meshes really well for it.”

“I think Edna’s story illustrates well how art can be both a passion and a career. She’s really honed her skills and found a sense of healing at the same time.”

Scott Thorp, chair of the Department of Art and Design

Martinez said she thinks getting a job where she could help create images for educational videos and textbooks for doctors and surgeons would be a fulfilling career.

“Just being able to use your art to teach and show people something that they wouldn’t normally be able to clearly see during an actual medical procedure, I think would be really rewarding,” she said. “So, once I found out you could get a job doing medical drawings like that, I was excited.”

In order to achieve her goal of getting accepted into the medical illustration program, Martinez has not only studied art, but she has also taken several biology, anatomy, kinesiology and zoology classes.

“This is not fantasy. This is real,” Martinez said. “And you need somebody who knows the body and anatomy more intimately than your average artist in order to get it right.”

Scott Thorp, chair of the Department of Art and Design, said Martinez was a standout student from the very beginning, when she first took his Drawing I class.

“Edna’s journey is a testament to the type of person she is. She’s always been driven and looked to art as an outlet. But now, she’s turning it into a career,” Thorp said. “I’m so glad she’ll walk across the stage to celebrate her accomplishments. I couldn’t be more proud.

“I think Edna’s story illustrates well how art can be both a passion and a career,” Thorp added. “She’s really honed her skills and found a sense of healing at the same time.”

Receiving her degree

When Martinez received her bachelor’s degree in art from Augusta University, members of her family from Las Vegas were in the audience, cheering her on as she crossed the stage.

“I’m the first in my family to graduate from college, so my mom is coming into town for it, and her sister is coming to town, too. It’ll be a big deal for them to see,” Martinez said, smiling. “I don’t think my mom would miss it for the world.”

Whether it was serving as a Marine or becoming a college graduate, Martinez said she always wanted to make her family proud.

“They didn’t bring me from Mexico for no reason. That has always been one of my biggest motivators,” she said. “I didn’t want my parents to feel like they moved here for no reason, like their sacrifices weren’t appreciated, because they very much are.”

And no matter what path she chose in life, Martinez said her family always provided her unconditional love and support.

“I’m the first in my family to have gone into the military. I’m the first to go to college. So, now, I’ll be the first to graduate,” she said. “And hopefully, eventually, I want to get a master’s degree in medical illustration.”

But Martinez said she doesn’t plan to stop there.

“I’d like to get a doctorate in anatomy or something like that. I think it’d be cool to be Dr. Martinez,” she said, smiling. “But my family is really proud of me. They all think it’s pretty cool. I think, at first, it sounded a little odd. I mean, I think every art student and every artist gets asked, ‘You really want to pursue art?’ But once they see how good you can be at it and that it is your passion, they get it.”

“I’m the first in my family to graduate from college, so my mom is coming into town for it, and her sister is coming to town, too. It’ll be a big deal for them to see. I don’t think my mom would miss it for the world.”

Art graduate Edna Martinez

In fact, Martinez said her family and friends seemed to always know she was an artist at heart.

“A lot of people over the years told me to pursue art. They would say, ‘Why don’t you do art for a living?’ And I was like, ‘I can’t make money doing art,’” Martinez said. “Then, it turns out that money didn’t matter. I quit a job that was paying me enough to buy a house in Summerville at 26 years old. I took a big leap, but I needed to be happy.

“As my mom says, I’ve always been a little crazy like that,” Martinez added, laughing. “But my family has also told me, ‘We couldn’t do what you’re doing. We are proud of you.’ That means more to me than anything.”