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.

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!

Las Olas Art Fair

This past Saturday we attended the 22nd Annual Las Olas Art Fair in Ft. Lauderdale. Except for a little sprinkle while we were there, the weather was beautiful and we saw a wonderful array of art. Actually about 150 juried artists displayed their work along Las Olas Blvd. This is a popular street that has fine boutiques, great restaurants and wonderful city atmosphere.

I found a couple of artists that I have long admired and I discovered some new favorites. Among the new ones are Vincent Perez Mendez who is a master painter. When you look at his work, it is like you are looking at a Renaissance artist of old. He is awesome. Unfortunately he doesn’t have a web site and I’m unable to share his work here. Humberto Benitez does have a great site and his work is different yet incredible as well. He describes his art as being “about memories, feelings and emotions formed while living in his native Cuba”. The vibrant colors he uses and the movement in his paintings are spectacular. Please take a moment and check him out!

“Tinajónes” (Water Jars) & Red Flowers

“Tinajónes” (Water Jars) & Red Flowers

I just finished these two thick impasto paintings of Cuban water jars (what’s she up to now, you might be asking…). Actually, a new friend, Daisy, who is from Camagüey, Cuba, suggested I paint these.

I find these water jars, or tinajónes to be a great subject to paint and the story behind them is very unique and interesting. Even though I’m Cuban, I really didn’t know too much about their history. Apperantly the Andalucians from Spain brought them over to Camagüey to be used for water storage.

According to Cuban Traditions, the tinajón was placed in the gardens of the houses with wide portals, where it can still be observed half of its round form buried under channels that bring the fresh water from the red tiled roofs. The tinajónes and the tile roofs were produced in the handmade shops of the region, denominated tejares. They used mud from the Sierra de Cubitas.

In Miami we still see a lot of houses that show off a tinajón, laid on it’s side, as part of the landscaping. My old neighbor, Marta, told me that whoever had one of these in their yard was from Camagüey. I don’t know whether that’s true or not, but they’re such a neat element in a garden that I’m thinking one would look great in front of my house!

Interview with Liset Cruz

I’d like you to meet one of my favorite Cuban photographers, Liset Cruz of Liset Photography on Etsy, I’ve admired her photos since she started her Etsy shop and I asked her a few questions recently.

First, who are you? Please tell us a bit about you, age, occupation, etc.

My name is Liset Cruz, 36. I am a translator working in Tallahassee, Florida. My boyfriend and I spend a lot of time taking photos and processing and enjoying.

How did you get into photography?

I've always been fascinated with photography, since I was a child. My mum took a lot of photos of us and, later on, as I say in my Photoblog, I enjoyed greatly going over them and seeing what we used to do. As I live a big part of my youth suffering the wrongly named "Special Period" in Cuba, I couldn't afford to take photos. If you look for photos of that time in Cuba you won't find many, only some made by foreigners, mostly. In 2004, already working in tourism, I decided to follow my dream and take a course of Photography and started studying Photoshop with tutorials I found on the net. Then, my learning process began (mostly self-taught), my passion took some shape and now I can't let it go. I'm still learning, of course.

Where is your favorite place in Cuba, to take pictures?

I don't have just one. My hometown, Havana, is a fascinating city. I miss "her" a lot. I love Old Havana, the Malecon, the Avenida del Puerto. The Colon Cemetery because I love cemeteries and this one provides me with unlimited inspiration. But in Cuba you can find photos everywhere.Another favorite is Viñales, Pinar del Rio. The whole province is beautiful (not the city, the countryside) but Viñales has a special place in my heart. The sunrise in the valley is something I can't quite explain. I hope my photos explain it better.Trinidad is another place I like a lot for photography, it's perfect also in the morning, before tourists arrive. I really like walking up the Ermita de la Popa and seeing the kids going to school.But I think the best photos are of Cubans. I have to be less shy and take more of those...

Which is your favorite shot from Etsy and why?

If I am going to be honest, I have to confess I haven't taken Etsy seriously. This is one of my favorite but I don't have it in Etsy. I started recently and I'm just trying it out.

What do your hope to accomplish with your art?

The answer is in my Photoblog:"I would like my photos to speak to you. I want their eyes to whisper things to your ears, and these cities and peoples to tempt you, I want you to guess their emotions and their stories. If that can happen, I will be satisfied."

Thanks, Liset

Please check out her unique and beautiful pictures on etsy!

New Red Hibiscus Pendant!

I’ve just listed another pendant in my shop! This one is a sweet, little red hibiscus oil painting done on watercolor paper, then encased and sealed with a water resistant resin, which gives it a glass like appearance. The completed work is set into a silver tone bezel and suspended from an 18 inch metallic necklace choker with a magnetic lath type clasp. Real easy to put on and off!!
Let me know what you think!