Continuing on Fourth of July's pride in country and community, we are proud to announce our Local Lady Icon for this month is Rabun Martin. Talk about pride in the community? This sweet lady was named after this beautiful county, where she summered with her grandparents until officially moving here when she was nine. Rabun graduated with a degree in interior design from the University of Georgia. Over the last two decades, she has cultivated her interior design business, her retail store, and art studio into a thriving, successful enterprise.
(Her girls and friends showing Rabun's art in front of Lulu & Tully's)
Her store, Lulu & Tully's, is located at 11 North Main Street and is filled with unique treasures, rare finds, and unconventional conversation starters. (I promise you won't leave there empty handed!) At the back of the store is Mercantile Studio, where she offers painting classes as well as craft classes such as floral design, soap and candle making classes, pottery, knitting, and jewelry making to name a few.
(Here are just a few of the exciting things that Rabun has at Lulu & Tully's)
When she's not running multiple ventures, she has her hands full with her four children with her husband, Ashley... not counting the numerous kids they have taken in from Rabun Gap Nacoochee School to board with them. [Note: (front left of the pic below) you may recognize the sassy brunette as our Brooksie from CFB- She's Rabun's daughter! : ) ] Also, in Rabun's "spare time," she fills in as a Zumba instructor (I took her class one time... and died. Her energy is unmatched!)
Rabun expresses her artistic creativity through interior design and as an impressionistic painter. She has been published in local and international publications. Her design style is one of intention and performance as she incorporates her patron's everyday life into the home to nurture the feelings of "familiarity, comfort and beauty."
Her approach to painting is similar as she draws upon landscapes near her home in Rabun Gap, using Acrylic on wood.
“My paintings are impressionistic and simplistic. My process is messy as is evident in my studio. Paint is everywhere. My approach is to create layers of color and texture that give the viewer a place to let their eyes wander and explore all over the painting, discovering uniqueness in every nook. I use acrylic paints applied with a palette knife, water bottles and my fingers. Mistakes are embraced and lead to unforeseen beauty. I use wooden boards my husband makes for me in our family’s furniture factory. The wood holds up to the extreme layers of wet and dry paint much better than canvas. It suits my messiness much better!”
So after seeing all the many hats this unbelievably awesome woman wears, it's no wonder that we chose her for our Local Lady Icon! So show her some love and check out her art at rabunmartinart.com, or stop by Lulu & Tully's to see all the amazing things she keeps stocked!
