About the artist - Martina Zrnic

Welcome to the magical realm of Martina Zrnic, a self-taught artist hailing from Croatia, now spreading her creations across the world.

- Stepping away from my secure corporate job, I embarked on a long and challenging adventure to pursue my passion for creating new things. Sculpting, painting, and digital design. It was hard, but I couldn't grow as a person or an artist in my comfort zone.

Now, at 36, I reflect on this journey with pride. Although I have a degree in Business Management, my artistic skills are entirely self-taught. As a neurodivergent individual, this path has been both a challenge and a revelation.

My clay journey began with a fascination for polymer clay, a medium that allows me to sculpt fantasy worlds from my imagination. While volunteering at an animal rescue shelter, I created custom tags for pets to sell at auctions, raising resources for our rescuees. Later, I started making more complex pieces as a side hustle next to my main job, to make a living.

The intricacy of fantasy designs helped me deal with the symptoms that inevitably come with PTSD. It brought me peace and mindfulness, something I had struggled to find previously. I wanted to extend that gift to others, by designing each piece of art as a tiny portal to another world, inviting admirers to immerse themselves in a realm where their dreams can come alive and where they too, can experience moments of peace.

I applied the same principle to a job I was doing since I was 16, graphic design. My design journey started early, with taking extra “informatics” at 11 and “advanced Photoshop” classes at 15 (or so) in highschool, where we used to do photo manipulation. Back then, I created posters, flyers and presentations for a medical organization as a volunteer. As a teenager, I wrote code for my own poetry blog because the design template didn't offer me enough options to personalize my blog, and that’s how I got interested in writing code. By 22 I was editing almanacs, book covers and helping design and edit websites in WordPress as well as making sure all the plugins are working. At 26 I was creating graphic design materials for the University of Applied Sciences PAR in Rijeka. As a neurodivergent, I follow up with my interests as I really want to know everything I possibly can, and better my skills to the best of my ability. Being neurodivergent has it's perks.

Today at 36, I have a small company registered in Germany, offering all-inclusive design services. With consulting and extensive guidelines, so my clients don't have to go through the lengthy processes and stress of figuring out themselves what they need, why they need it, and what would work in favour of achieving their brand’s goals. Conducting casual interviews, asking questions and having face to face conversations, even if it's over Zoom, helps me read in-between the lines and figure out what my clients need. In their testimonies, like with authors A. M. Rose, this ability is often praised.

I strive to help others by creating eye-catching designs that bear the same mark of unconventionality and have earned us two nominations for Members choice Best Cover of the Year on Goodreads, featured my work in local newspapers, attracted enough interest to open an online shop with my designs, and expanded the audience for my clients. How, well, by doing something differently. And I would be happy to tell you exactly how, in a face to face or ear to ear conversation.

I said "us" because clients and designers must collaborate to bring an idea to life. It’s not a one-person effort. It involves a lot of different people with different mindsets, beliefs, and ideas, working to achieve the same goal. This requires a calm and diplomatic approach, but you can seldom be afraid to express your idea. If you know it will work for the client, you have to clearly state why, how, and what's the value they can get from it. 

Surprisingly, my art has reached far more people than I ever expected. I am not an artist with a viral social media account or a large online following. For the most part, I am not active on social media. Mostly because I don't like having an algorithm between me and my audience. However, I have a wonderful “following” of people in person, including long-term clients.

I am driven by a desire to convey emotion and sensory experience, so my focus naturally revolves around unconventional designs. You won’t find any copy-paste templates in my portfolio. Each experience is tailored and each piece is made just for a particular client.

Having showcased her artistry at numerous live shows throughout Croatia, both solo and in group settings, Martina's talent has been appreciated by those who have had the chance to encounter her art. In 2020, amidst the challenging times of the pandemic, she embarked on a new chapter in her life, relocating to Germany, where she has now established her small business dedicated to spreading the benefits of escapism and finding peace through enjoying her art, in oftentimes tangible and practical form. If you’d like to step away from the mundane and a journey into the extraordinary, Martina’s artistry is your gateway to a world where imagination knows no bounds. Embrace the magic! And always remember….we don't make mistakes, we have happy accidents. - Bob Ross