Yes, I noticed that too. He uses a chop (an Oriental signature) for his paintings, like they do in China and Japan. We would call it a "seal".

One of the biggest things one has to learn when doing art seriously is to master the left brain, logic centers and turn it off so the right brain can be freed. There is a teacher who has books about this...Betty Edwards. I have a post about her here on this forum.

Karl Martens uses his meditation and Oriental techniques to free his mind, so he can create the way he needs to. Growing up in an artistic household, and in San Francisco, where there is a large Asian community no doubt helped him evolve to where he is today. People often think that artists have some special talent. But really it is the mind that rules the creative process. Learning the techniques is only a tool, to get the result out of the mind. And this learning does take discipline and effort. The trick is to let go of preconceived notions, and let the other part out. This can be a scarey path to follow, as we see the result of letting "go" become chaotic and destructive sometimes (as in the terrible plane crash this week).

Karl Martens seems to have found a way to reach his center and instead of destroying others, he inspires them.