Army's artist-in-residence Martin Cervantez documents history from the front lines

One month after completing high school, Master Sgt. Martin Cervantez enlisted in the U.S. Army as an illustrator without any formal artistic training.

Now, 24 years after he began illustrating leaflets and pamphlets during the propaganda-heavy Cold War, Cervantez, 42, serves as the Army's artist-in-residence, a position crafted to document history through art from the front lines.

"I have the best job in the Army," Cervantez said. "Most people don't know a position like this exists, but it's a grand job I get to do, documenting history."

Cervantez, who still adheres to soldier tasks including physical training, spent 90 days in Afghanistan in fall 2008 sketching and photographing missions. But the artist wasn't drawing in peace.

"In the field, I was right out there in harm's way with them," Cervantez said, "but I let them know I'm a part of their team. I do not put anyone's life in jeopardy. I'm recording history through my experiences, and you have to have been there to record it."

Since January 2009, Cervantez's subject matter has transitioned from man-made attacks to nature's assault on Haiti after the earthquake.

Surrounded by collapsed buildings and remnants of people's personal belongings - curtains, suitcases and clothing lay strewed across the island - Cervantez was able to do enough sketches and take enough photographs to return home with a full portfolio.

"There were a few dead bodies, but I also saw a lot of food distributions and camps of tents and shanties," Cervantez said. "Now, I'm working on oil paintings based on it."

Each time Cervantez returns from a trip, he said, he eventually surrenders his sketchbooks to the U.S. Army Center of Military History collection, but first he chooses sketches and photos to fine-tune and turn into larger-scale paintings done in his studio at Fort Belvoir, Va.

His current project depicting Haiti is spread over three canvases, measuring 4 feet by 12. Though oil paintings usually take him a month to complete, Cervantez said, this particular project would take a bit longer because of its magnitude.

Before assuming the senior-level position as artist-in-residence 2 1/2 years ago, Cervantez had several other jobs in the Army. He served as a basic-training drill sergeant in Fort Jackson, S.C., and as first sergeant for tactical broadcast for Bravo Company, working with photographers, graphic designers and audiovisual personnel in Iraq. And though Cervantez, an active-duty member of the military, has served his time after 24 years, he said he is "going to stay as long as I can" as the artist-in-residence.

"Prior to this position, the side artwork I did was more abstract," he said. "This is the first time I've actually done representative artwork and [used] oils. It has tapped into another side of me."