We are amazed by the local talent that calls the Reno/Tahoe basin, home. From Burning Man art and renowned tattoo artists to building murals and larger-than-life street statues, creativity thrives here. Today we turn the spotlight on Sean Martin, a local artist, hiker, and Tahoe enthusiast. Sean hails from Cameron Park, CA, and has lived in Nevada since 2013. He’s 55 miles away from completing the Tahoe Rim Trail which he fits in somewhere between a full-time job as a Graphic Design manager and a Dad of 2-year-old Piper. Come with us as we lace up our hikers and take a stroll up the Flume Trail with the ridiculously polite, Sean Martin.

TX: We love your style! When did retro art become your passion?

SM: I’ve enjoyed classic WPA National Park posters since I was a kid, and I’ve been recreating them in my own style ever since! I really appreciate their ability to capture the essence and majesty of a place in a single image using traditional art methods. These classic posters are also the reason I got into traveling, mountaineering, and enjoying nature as much as possible.

TX: As a devout Instagram follower of yours, I love that you are always traveling. Where would you consider your favorite place to go? Where are you headed next?

SM: Namche Bazaar and the Himalayas were a surreal experience. I spent nearly three weeks hiking to Everest Base Camp passing through villages, tea houses, and over mountain passes. The sights, sounds, and smells are still ingrained in my mind. I hope to bring my daughter on that trek when she’s older. For now, Japan is next on my list! While there, my goal is to take a side adventure and climb Mt. Fuji– a bucket-list mountain of mine.

TX: Not long ago, we reached out to you to create custom postcards for our properties, which have been a HUGE hit! How do you decide what to create? There are so many amazing vistas and hidden gems in and around Lake Tahoe, how many have you drawn?

SM: There truly are endless gems to be found around the lake. Fortunately, Jason (TX Marketing Director) has been a great collaborative partner to narrow in on specific regions around the lake with each set of illustrations. What the national park posters do so successfully is to create a moment within a unique place that drives people to visit or remember their own special time there. When designing these illustrations, I’m also focused on creating a moment in time to capture a piece of something that folks can then take home with them. So far, I’ve illustrated just over a dozen areas around the lake, and I feel like I’ve hardly scratched the surface.

TX: What do you like most about Reno and Tahoe? Does “Home Means Nevada” to you or do you plan to relocate?

SM: What I love about Reno-Tahoe is the diversity of our climate. I’ve had days where I enjoyed the Balloon Races in town, driven up to the lake for an alpine hike, and returned home to catch a desert sunset after a late-summer thunderstorm. We’re so fortunate to live in this unique area, and I’m very proud to call Nevada home for the long term.

Thanks for sharing the trail with me today, Sean. We are super excited to see the next installation of cards you are creating for our guests and can’t wait to see what you have planned for the winter series. We are superfans!