When Secretariat won the Triple Crown in 1973 — setting records in the Kentucky Derby, Preakness Stakes, and Belmont Stakes — he became the first horse since 1948 to achieve such notoriety. While Secretariat was carving out his enduring legacy as one of the greatest race horses in history, Martin Davis was honing his talents as an artist, experimenting with different subjects and mediums. 

Martin paints mostly with oils, using orange as the base color for many of his paintings. Martins’ attraction to horses as the focus of his artwork evolved over time. Admiring Secretariats’ success, Martin felt compelled to paint him.  “It was Secretariats’ imperfections that struck me most. Three white socks, not four, symbolizes life—our courage and what we do with what we have.”   

Martin received his BA of Fine Arts from SUNY Oneonta in 1978.  Early in his career, Martin studied fingerprinting and worked for the State of New York in forensics. His analytical abilities in fingerprint analysis has contributed considerably to Martins’ success as an artist. Martin has won awards for his artwork and continues to find great satisfaction as an artist.