The Art of Emilio Sanchez

Emilio Sanchez was born in Camaguey, Cuba in 1921 to one of the wealthy families of the area. He moved to New York in 1944 to study at the Art Students League of New York City, and at the Columbia University School of the Arts. He lived in that city until his death in 1999. His foundation has put together a new book celebrating his life and work called “Hard Light: The Work of Emilio Sanchez”.   It's elegantly compiled and beautifully written.


His light and shadows and the architectural subjects that he paints are particularly appealing to me and although he's reminiscent of Humberto Calzada  I find his subjects, depict particularly well, those memories I have of the beach town of Santa Fe, where I lived in Cuba. His "Casita al Mar" reminds me of my casita that my dad and brothers built for me in our back yard, when I was small. It had the same veranda except it didn't have the sea directly in the background!  Memories of a simpler, happier place and time.

  

Artist Profile~

Miami Beach Ocean Dr.
Sold

Back in June, I started doing a weekly artist profile post. Read about it here. It's been very enjoyable looking for different people to profile but time consuming. I've learned a lot by simply seeing different artists, their styles and approaches to subject matters. It's been very interesting to read their bios, philosophies and see what they create.  I've "met" some lovely people like Annie Maxwell, Jonathan Aller, and Mark Webster who appreciated my "shout out" to them and I've been enriched by the experience.

This was a commitment I made to myself, that I would do this once a week but now I find that I am stealing time from other obligations. Mostly, painting! So, I will still do this, because I love it, but not every week! I will do a once a month profile in November and each month thereafter. I do love researching my "subjects"! If you have a suggestion on a favorite artist that I can profile, even if it's you, please let me know!

Artist Profile~Dominica Alcántara

Dominica Alcántara is an incredibly active 87 year old artist.  Her son, Juan, has put together her FineArtAmerica page and says that painting  is "what keeps her clear of mind and young at heart."  I happen to love her rich, vibrant and detailed work.

Dominica Alcantara

Her tropical paintings are distinctively vibrant and heartwarming. She has some wonderful Cuban themes, like Manuel the Fruit Vendor, but I happen to love those that showcase the architectural elements of our native land the most.

Catedral de la Habana

"She was born in Camjuaní, Las Villas, Cuba on May 12th, 1923. As a little girl her parents took her to live in the Canary Islands where she studied painting, her life long passion, in a private academy. When she returned as a young lady she continued her painting studies, learning diverse techniques. As a cuban exile in America working as a teacher she still continued her artistic studies under the tutelage of the late great painter and professor from Madrid Ramón Lapayese.

Hotel Camaguey

Her passion for the colors on the canvas as seen through her eyes do
not overshadow the realism in her work, they simply let her realize the
painting. 

Colonial Corner

She brings Cuban landscapes and landmarks to life with her brush. She
also confronts complexities disguised as simple themes such as close ups
of coconuts, flowers, fruits, etc. with the ease and good taste of a
master craftsman." 

If I manage to reach 87 years young, as Dominica has, I hope I'm still able to paint and enjoy life with the same zest and vitality. And hopefully with those I love, as she has done. Thank you, Juan, for sharing your mom's vision and art with the rest of the world!

Check out her fine art here.

Artist Profile~Debra Hurd

Debra Hurd

I recall vividly the first oil painting I saw by Debra Hurd, some years back. It has haunted me and I've never forgotten it. It was a lovely bouquet of flowers. You know how much I love flowers but this beautiful bouquet had paint running down from the top. Just dripping wet paint. I thought at the time, what a way to ruin a lovely painting. But I was wrong. It wasn't ruined. Debra masterfully painted a beautiful floral arrangement and then went ahead and showed the viewer how fragile beauty is and how fleeting.


Debra is my artist profile this week and on Fineartamerica and she has a gorgeous, loose style using thick paints and lots of movement. Her Tango painting is one of my favorites. Ohhh, if only I could tango! Yes. I love the tango.

Tango Oil Painting by Debra Hurd

Her bio states that
"Art and music are my passions but it's all art to me.

Latin Jazz

Jazz

Internationally acclaimed artist Debra Hurd studied art at both Southern University in Chattanooga, Tennessee and the Ringling School of Art and Design in Sarasota, Florida. For 15 years she was a graphic designer in Florida and Austin, Texas. 

She is also an accomplished pianist, having studied music since early childhood. Debra's wild boogie-woogie and honky-tonk style still finds her in the recording studios and at live performances in Austin. She loves jazz, classical, and salsa styles, too." 

Check her fine art here. 

Maybe I'll learn to tango, one day;)

Stephen Krause~Artist Profile

Stephen Krause

I've been working on some flower paintings this week and looking and thinking a lot about flowers in general, and then I stumbled upon some gorgeous realistic flower paintings done by fellow artist, Stephen Krause from DailyPaintersInternationalArtGallery. He's my artist profile this week.

Grandpas Iris #2 by Stephen Krause

 His work is masterful and emotive as well. The details are phenomenal!

Grandpa's Flower #3

He tells us in his blog that "I started my art career when I was 5 years old, when my best buddy and I would spend hours on our front porch drawing pictures or cartoons... Being raised on the Navajo Reservation I was exposed to some of the most magnificent scenes of cliffs, canyons, mountains and deserts one could imagine! I got a BA degree in Graphics and Illustration. I have worked 40 years in different aspects of the art world. I’ve work with book publishers, illustrated children’s books, illustrated for toy companies and have taught art classes for a local college. I’m now doing the thing I love most, painting things that excite me because of their color, contrast, dynamics, and plain old emotional energy they stir in me. My goal is to get the viewer involved with the beauty in the ordinary as well as the extraordinary. I have started painting miniature paintings for your enjoyment and ownership. Please visit my web site, www.krausemarketeers. Enjoy, I hope they cause in you some of the emotions I felt in painting them."

Iris Flower #6

He has so many other beautiful paintings in his blog. Check it out here.

Artist Profile~Elizabeth Blaylock

Elizabeth Blaylock

Elizabeth Blaylock will paint anything that gives her the opportunity to play with color and shapes! She's been doing it most of her life and it's apparent that she's having fun. She is great! I particularly like her seaside paintings and admire her deft use of light and values.

She says:

After college I lived, painted and studied in New Orleans. Currently I live in beautiful Gulf Shores, Alabama with my husband Ed. I love painting figures, still lifes, beach scenes, or just about anything else that gives me the opportunity to play with color and shapes. My goal in painting is to have fun creating a visual feast for you to enjoy, all to the glory of God.

Seagulls in the Surf

Oil Painting of Woman Soaking up the Sun

I love the overall serene and bright feel of this painting and the lovely light and shadows. 

Orange and Yellow Striped Catamaran

I've been struggling with waves in my latest Miami Beach painting and really admire how she handled them here.

Siblings at the Seaside

She makes it look easy, doesn't she? Believe me, it's not! Besides landscapes, Elizabeth specializes in still lifes. Check out this incredibly talented artist's web site here.

Robin Maria Pedrero~Artist Profile

Robin Maria Pedrero

My profile artist this week is Orlando based artist,  Robin Maria Pedrero. She is one of my all time favorite artists and fellow uwib.  Not only because she's an extremely talented artist and can create absolutely anything she wants but she is a dynamo at art marketing as well and so generous with her time and talents. I have learned so much from her and she's directly responsible for my involvement in the uniquewomeninbusiness group that we both belong to. She'll be the first to tell you that joining this group has been one of the smartest business decision she ever made.  I would have to agree!

Two Rays of Light in the Morning

She "is listed in Florida International Magazine's 2009 Florida Artists Hall of Fame. Her artwork is in the upcoming 2011 thriller movie "Roommates".  She is an elected signature member of the Pastel Society of America. Her art is a visual journey, where she captures life and simple pleasures applying rhythmic patterns, natural forms and geometrics in translucent layers.  She responds to what catches her eyes and heart, drawing and painting with colors, shapes and lines.  Charcoal, pastel, graphite, colored pencil, ink, acrylic or oil paint are utilized on various papers, wood, or canvas.  She personifies nature through color and movement evoking moods of transition, strength, joy and serenity."

Within Sight

I agree, her work is a visual journey.  There is a mystery that is underlying in most of her work. Things are not always as they appear and there is so much more under the layers of paint or life. It's up to us to unearth the secrets.

Secret Solitary Bird

She is one of the few who have been invited to exhibit in the Berlin Orlando/Orlando Berlin Invitational Exhibition of the Orlando Museum of Art on February 3, 2011.  I know it's well deserved and that she's so excited to be visiting Berlin for this show.

Check out her etsy shop for originals, prints, and other items.

 

Marina Petro~Artist Profile

Marina Petro

Marina Petro starts her latest blog post in a somber mood. "I've learned that my beloved master (painting) teacher, Tom Vincent,  has taken a significant turn for the worse and can no longer communicate. He is in the stages of dying at a small nursing facility."  He tells her in a whisper, "when you begin each painting, intend it to be a masterpiece." I told him I would always hear his voice telling me..."Be patient...be very very careful.."  Good advice for any artist.

Angel's Garden

Marina's art is masterful and full of feeling.  I particularly love her collection of angels. She has dancing angels, ascending angels, lost angels, celestial and magical angels, garden angels and even angels of strength and courage. All mystical and emotive.

Celestial Skyscape

She states that although she had Mr. Vincent as a teacher recently,  she's mostly a "self-taught artist, clairvoyant, and present workshops in Intuitive Painting (Painting From "The Zone") and Intuitive Development. My artwork has been used to illustrate magazine articles, CD covers, wine collections, and featured in a variety of publications and national magazines. My paintings and prints are in private collections all over the world. I feel that art enables us to glimpse and experience Divine Manifestation. The "Great Creator" continuing the spirit of creation through the world's artists."

Angel of Strength and Courage

I totally agree, Marina. 

Artist Profile~Ann Reyes

Ann Phifer Reyes

This week my artist profile is another lady I have admired for some time. Ann Reyes, a Texas resident and  Daily Painters International Art Gallery member is a full time artist, who paints every day. I so admire her painting skills. Particularly with landscapes because that is what I'm focusing on lately, I guess.  And I see that she has a wonderful ability to paint atmosphere and shadows in a way that I'd like to be able to do. 

Besides small daily paintings, she also does murals, large landscapes, figurative works, and commissioned portraits. Her paintings are in private and corporate collections across the country and is represented by Harris Gallery in Houston. She also teaches part time in a local college.

"I want people to not only see what I see, but feel what I feel when I paint a subject.  My purpose is not to see how accurately I can depict a landscape or a figure, but how much I can draw the viewer into my painting so they see and feel what I saw and felt."

Visit her web site for a wonderful selection of Ann's vision on canvas.

Jonathan Aller

Jonathan Aller

Minneapolis artist, Jonathan Aller, is one of those multi-talented artists that seems to be adept at creating figurative paintings, ball point drawings, casts, or still life oil paintings. I think his classical art education has served him well.

"He has spent most of his life sketching everything he sees. His passion for sketching and drawing carried into a love for painting. After graduating Ringling College of Art and Design, he traveled to Florence, Italy and studied at the Angel Academy Atelier. It was there he was taught the techniques of the masters. Having been exposed to so many artists, he gained an even deeper respect for painting and its history. "I love painting from life; a portrait, a figure study, or a still life all express my desire to create. I strive to keep true to the subject, while breathing life and excitement in to the painting."

His ball point drawings really showcase his talent in this medium. I'd love to be able to do that!

Check out his blog to see more of this incredibly talented artist's work.

Profile on Mark Webster

Mark Webster

Cubism is defined as a French school of painting initiated in 1907 by Pablo Picasso, the Spanish painter and sculptor (1881-1973) which
features multifaceted surfaces of geometrical planes.

Mark Webster is not only a cubist but an incredibly prolific and versatile artist.  A fellow DailyPaintersInternationalArtGallery member, he's well known for his cubism and futurism paintings. And I don't think any other artist on DPIAG does anything quite like what Mark does with this genre. His work is extraordinary although I love his palette knife landscape paintings the most.

Foothill Road

Cape Collins

I also discovered that he's a gifted figurative painter as well.

Mandy with Glass Bowl

"Mark has studied painting at The School of Light and Color in Fair Oaks, CA, and landscape painting in Italy. He has shown in juried exhibitions and in galleries all over the United States. Awards include an HONORABLE MENTION for "The Guitar Player in San Gimignano", and AN EMERGING ARTIST SPECIAL AWARD for "Michael" at the X-Power Gallery in Beverly Hills, CA. 2009 International Art Competition."

Sailboat off the Coast of Hawaii

Check out his blog to see the varied paintings this talented artist shares with us.

Annie Maxwell

Annie Maxwell is my featured artist this week.  This Cuban-American artist that is also a member of FineArtAmerica, paints contemporary, vibrant paintings that I find captivating.  I specifically like her paintings that have the typical Cuban iconic images such as the dominoes, vitrales (stained glass), and Cuban coffee pot.  My favorite however have to be the nostalgic paintings of the Cuban woman longing for her homeland or her long lost love. How poignant, and lovely.

You Belong to Me:

"Annie's contemporary artworks tell a story with creativity, a great deal of emotion and fascinating colors. Her unique style has been described as an explosion of powerful, yet soothing and delightful colors that seem to spill from the canvas. This exceptional use of color characterizes and defines her distinctive style. Her enchanting use of color and creativity amuses and captivates the observer."


The Cloer I Get:

Check out her bio and FineArtAmerica page here.   
You can visit her website at http://www.anaivismaxwell.com/.

All I Need is You:

Tony Mendoza Art

This week's artist's profile is not a member of DPIAG, but he is a fellow member of  FineArtAmerica . You may recall my post that explains how each Wednesday I'll be profiling one talented artist.

We had a chance to see Tony's art at Cuba Nostalgia this year and this guy does crack me up.  His style is so, well, stylized.  His work is totally, uniquely, his.
There's a saying in Cuba, in reference to a "mess", as in when something is really convoluted and involved and it's refered to as an "arroz con mango". Translated loosely, rice and mango! You can well imagine, what a mess that would be! So Tony's artistic (and very clever) interpretation of it is shown here:

His profile describes him as  "...born in New York to Cuban parents, but raised in the Little Havana neighborhood of Miami. This guy's work is so vibrant and colorful! He intimately captures the daily life of Little Havana with style and best of all, a great sense of humor".  Check him out here.

I particularly like these two, as well:

Check out this talented artist's FineArtAmerica page here!