Gardens Inspired by Art: Amy Martin Landscape Design

As the days get longer and the weather begins to warm, we are reminded that spring is on the way and it is time to plan the landscape you’ve been longing for all winter. If you are dreaming of an outdoor sanctuary that is breathtakingly beautiful, clean-looking and unique, look no further than Amy Martin of Amy Martin Landscape Design. Martin is well-known for creating gorgeous, one-of-a-kind landscapes—also known as Art Gardens—by using famous works of art as inspiration. In her Art Gardens, Martin uses the work of a specific artist or works of art to influence and inspire her landscape design “to guide the composition of forms and the selection of materials to build an outdoor space to correspond with the work of art.”  

Amy Martin of Amy Martin Landscape Design, photograph by Millicent Harvey 

Martin analyzes the elements of specific works of art or the themes and methods of a particular artist and applies them directly into the landscape design, as seen in her Kandinsky Garden. She explains her approach; “The Kandinsky Garden was directly influenced by ‘Arch and Point’, with the red arcing concrete sitting wall wrapping around a black fire pit kettle balanced on stones. The yellow chairs echo the yellow bubble shapes in the painting, while the brown deck emulates the brown rectangle and the square patio pavers indicate the grid work pattern in the painting.” 

Left: Arch and Point by Wassily Kandinsky, photograph by Millicent Harvey 

Martin feels passionately about bringing the magic out of a preexisting space. Her design process always begins with understanding the current situation at hand—she focuses on understanding the people who live there, how they want to live, what is important to them, and what nature is currently doing in that space. The Delaunay Garden is one example of how art, nature and the clients influenced her design. She explains, “The Delaunay Garden was inspired by Sonia Delaunay’s painting from 1920’s Paris. The clients wanted a sense of movement and dimension in the garden, so the retaining wall has a serpentine curve and the patio pattern reflects the discs in the painting. Plantings were mostly in blue and yellow amidst many structural evergreens.” 

Left: Composition with Discs by Sonia Delaunay, photograph by Amy Martin 

While Martin has always chosen the art inspiration for her landscape designs, she is eager to work with a client who has their own concept in mind they can develop together. When searching for inspiration, Martin often gravitates towards modern art. She believes it carries a strong emotion and composition that is easier to translate into a landscape than other styles. Amy exhibits her modern influence in the Modern Asian Garden, “Modern Asian Garden was inspired by this Fine Art Print on the mantel of these art-collecting clients. The swaying form of the body became the theme for the project resulting in the custom gate of swaying forms leaning against a modern louvered granite gate. The boulder sculpture (shown in top photo) also echoes the human form among the pebbled ground layer next to the undulating lines of the bluestone patio.”  

Left: Modern Asian, photograph by Millicent Harvey 

Martin compares her landscape creations to her children—she devotes endless time, care, and thought into each design. She is currently working on a project that she is particularly excited about—her own garden inspired by Matisse’s Goldfish painting. The landscape will be complete with a goldfish pond, circular pathways, patio furniture echoing the forms and colors in the painting, as well as a black pergola bench for meditating alongside the movement of the fish. This one-of-a-kind landscape will be complete this summer, and we cannot wait to see the finished result.  

Top: Modern Asian Garden, photograph by Millicent Harvey