Today we’d like to introduce you to Zina Martin.
Zina Martin is the Owner and Chief Design Impressionista of House of Zina. She is a freelance artist and Designer, once a teaching artist for 6 years in CHISD.
She also is creator and owner of A Purple Notion: A Studio Experience located in Cedar Hill, Texas. A Purple Notion is an art studio and gallery where we bring a mishmash of unique and cutting-edge Arts and Social related events, live music, workshops, and classes that appeal to the senses and create a social atmosphere of ideas, conversation, creation, and conundrums. We focus on the arts and more.
She is also co-owner and artist of Frida’s House of Hues which focuses on elementary art education providing summer art camps for kids. She is involved in many avenues of creativity including but not limited to Commercial and Residential murals, Children’s Book Illustrations, print-ready graphic design, handmade beaded jewelry, event design, unique handmade gifts, and mixed media art.
Ms. Martin, sister of journalist and political analyst Roland S. Martin, is also designer and creator of Mr. Martin’s feathered pocket squares for men.
Truly a “Jill of All Trades,” always experimenting, creating and contemplating new ideas and “notions.” She specializes in creating unique, one-of-a-kind creations from her own vision or from yours and she makes it into a reality.
Has it been a smooth road?
Working for myself from home was somewhat easy. I had little overhead other than what I was accustomed to paying, no different than what most deal with daily as a part of life.
However, I soon ran out of workspace and storage space. I was transitioning my business into focusing on the services and projects that had my largest client base and largest revenue stream. Some of my smaller yet consistent ones, however, were difficult to pull off because I was using borrowed spaces. So it was becoming apparent that I needed a place of my own as work and studio space as well as event space.
That is where A Purple Notion was born, the studio I have now. I discovered major challenges with having my own space. I had no shortage of assistance and support. I ran into the issue of what was clearly two separate entities, and it soon became like two monsters in a sense. I found it difficult to focus on opening the studio and my business, so I focused on the studio, hoping it would generate the income I needed, to cover the now high overhead I had incurred with a new lease and all it takes to run a public space.
Only to find out it wasn’t and didn’t. I had to transition again back to my main business, House of Zina. So it kinda gave me the blues about feeling like I had to sacrifice one for the other. I was and am a one-woman show. I can’t be in two places at once, yet I need a workspace. I had to remind myself the reason why I got the studio, NOT to have an event center which it seemed to turn into, but workspace and meeting space of the minds, other creatives.
Not a smooth road but definitely lots of support and help along the way. One of the other biggest obstacles has been getting the community involved in what we offer. We’ve even had free events and opportunities. However, we have had a unique issue/situation. Cedar Hill has never really been known as a destination for entertainment. Yes, lots of people come here for shopping, we have quite a few restaurants there also. But no entertainment venues.
So the community itself is accustomed to visiting elsewhere, other parts of greater Dallas and Fort Worth area to get in their arts and culture related activities and entertainment.
So, as you know, we’re impressed with House of Zina and A Purple Notion – tell our readers more, for example, what you’re most proud of as a company and what sets you apart from others.
I am first and foremost a freelance artist and designer. My design business is called House of Zina. I kinda feel like a “Jill of all Trades, Master of None.”
Some of the services I provide have been painting commercial and residential murals for several years, for schools, builders and developers on construction sites, residential homes with traditional murals and non-traditional wall painting techniques.
I also am a children’s book illustrator, “I Think My Mom’s the Tooth Fairy,” written by Janet Forney, “Hannah’s Heart” (a reader and a coloring book,” written by Dr. Jacquie Hood Martin and I have also illustrated an adult coloring book titled “The Art of You,” written by Janet Forney.
Something cool I sort of discovered is Classroom Decorating. When I taught art, I used to create cool themed bulletin boards or my art room and decorate the hall my room was on and its door. I had a fellow teacher tell me that I should do that as a part of my business. I really didn’t think it would work because, at the time, PTA and parents tended to do a lot of that on campuses. A few years later, on a whim, I took her up on her advice. I started posting pics of what I had been doing at my school online, and it sort of blew up.
Every year for the past 4 years or so I have been bombarded with classroom decorating requests for bulletin boards, door decor, full rooms, and more smaller classroom needs lie weather charts, anchor charts, birthday and chore charts and more. It is really a cool option for teachers who, yearly, find it harder and harder to spend time working on getting their classroom together and attending staff development workshops.
That is what I am in the process of expanding now, what I offer. I have teachers messaging me all over the country now for my services. I still only service the DFW metroplex, but I am working on ways to expand that in ways like maybe a fulfillment service. I also do quite the variety of artisan and craft related art at special request from clients.
I’ve created a sort of reputation for experimentation so I get a lot of odd requests from clients wondering if there is something I can make or recreate. I love the diversity I offer now that I have my own brick and mortar studio, called A Purple Notion. We have been focusing on displaying in our gallery local art from women who are survivors of domestic violence.
We also are building a base for other creatives: photographers, painters, illustrators, artisans, musicians, writers, etc., who look for creative space to not only work in but fellowship with other creatives. We call it “Let’s Create.” It’s like being able to stop in our studios for happy art and creativity, BYOS (Bring Your Own Supplies).
We also offer small business advice that is geared specifically toward creatives, teaching them some of the tools necessary to monetize their talents and gifts. We even have concerts and shows here where we combine fine art with fun art. A bit of music from jazz to heavy metal and more.
I am proud that I have never given up. All too often I have seen and heard of businesses who give up after experiencing disappointments and failures. I know it happens and I know this is what I am destined for, so I take the failures and disappointments and keep it moving, par for the course.
Let’s touch on your thoughts about our city – what do you like the most and least?
I love Cedar Hill because it has such charm and a fabric that exists of a vintage nature yet modern amenities. We have a diverse City Council and school board, and we are constantly growing and improving.
Contact Info:
- Address: 201 N. Main. Historic District
Cedar Hill, TX 75104 - Website: www.houseofzina.com
- Phone: 469-337-4545
- Email: zina@houseofzina.com
- Instagram: instagram.com/houseofzina
- Facebook: facebook.com/houseofzina
- Twitter: twitter.com/houseofzina
- Other: www.apurplenotion.com
Getting in touch: VoyageDallas is built on recommendations from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you know someone who deserves recognition please let us know here.
