LIVE ART MINISTRY

My Testimony – Gabino Martinez, Dallas Speed Painter

I am 56 years old, and for most of my life I thought of myself as a “good man.” I believed in God, considered myself a Christian, and tried to live a decent life. I had always heard the phrase “born again” but never truly understood what it meant—until it happened to me.

For many, being born again comes in a moment of darkness, rock bottom, or even prison. For me, it came during a season when I was growing in my walk with Christ, but my marriage was falling apart. I went through a divorce I didn’t want, and afterward I felt like a failure. One day I raised my hand and prayed, “Okay God, I give up. I can’t do anything right, I can’t do anything on my own. Take me and do with me what You will.” And He did.

That was the moment I was born again. God gave me a new life, a new identity, and even a new gift. He took me—a handyman with a 10th grade education who had never taken an art class—and made me into an artist. Not just an artist, but a Christian artist. Today, I travel across the country performing live art at conferences, fundraisers, corporate events, and more. My paintings have raised thousands of dollars at charitable auctions, serving causes greater than myself.

At first, I thought this gift meant I was destined for fame. I pursued opportunities on my own—auditioning for shows like America’s Got Talent—but those doors never opened. God showed me that this gift wasn’t given to make me famous, but to bring glory to His Son, Jesus Christ. When I surrendered my ambition and let Him take control, doors began opening that I could never have imagined.

Calls started coming in. People asked, “How do we book you? Who’s your agent?” That’s when I realized—God is my booking agent. He began to place me on stages I never dreamed of, from performing at the African Music Awards broadcast worldwide, to painting at halftime before 20,000 fans at the Dallas Renegades XFL football game at Globe Life Stadium.

I used to say, as a handyman, that I didn’t have a boss. Today, I can proudly say I do—I work for God. My art has become my ministry. I’ve had the blessing of painting in nursing homes, prisons, shelters, and churches across the nation, sharing both my gift and my testimony.

I am blessed, I am loved, and I am excited for whatever doors God chooses to open next. My prayer is simple: that through every canvas, every stage, and every brushstroke, Jesus Christ alone would receive the glory.