My name is Juliana Martinez. I am from Puerto Rico, but grew up mainly in Los Angeles. I love it here, I love it there. I did my first mosaic when I was 9 and was hooked. I have been doing them ever since. I also paint, but not as well. I am married, have 4 natural children, one adopted son, and 4 grandchildren. I live in Canoga Park, CA, where I also have a studio. I currently do public art pieces and also accept private commissions.

I love this project. Unfortunately, I didn't get "discovered" till I was 52 years old, so I am working at warp speed to get a lot in. The upside is that they didn't wait to discover me till after I was dead. I was a hippie, the peace and anti-war kind (lots of far-out discussions about passive resistance, Pete Seeger concerts, and eating macro-biotic food, even though I wanted to go to Lawry's and eat prime rib in my heart of hearts). I raised my children this way and I still hold the same principals dear. My piece is about LOVE. It is a constant. It was there before 1967, and it is still here and there, but that summer computers hadn't taken over, hearts were light, music was everywhere and this side of the world was a place of wonderment if you looked in the right places. The music was the thread that we still use as a reference point to know where we were at the points in our lives that matter most to us. How great it is to be able to celebrate the birthday of the instruments that played a monumental part in creating those points. Happy Birthday to Gibson!