April Events

Blog, , , , ,

11046452_10150556432919956_256256277014538678_nIt is almost unbelievable that April is already here. It seems like yesterday we celebrated New Years and we already went through 93 days out of 365 of the year. That left us with 272 days left for 2015 to be over. March was a very busy month ending with a fantastic private painting party with the ladies of the Orange Chamber of Commerce. April began with a great sculpting party at Cafe Atlantique in Milford, CT. We had a great time. The April events continue and I will encourage you to join the fun. We are going from Milford, CT to Monroe and New Haven.

First, we will be back at Cafe Atlantique April 16 for a painting party. We have a few spaces left. The next day we go to Monroe for a sculpting party at Grandma Josie’s. It is going to be our first time sculpting there. We had a few painting parties that went great. Call and sign up. Friday, April 24 we go to New Haven for a sculpting party at The Grove. For all these events you must RSVP.

11082603_10150553016684956_8808618767892817436_n-2I am glad I get the chance to do this and share this time with you. It is not just about sculpting and painting as it is as investing time in yourself. When was the last time you didn’t check your phone for 2 hours? When was the last time you disconnected from everything? The results are satisfactory not only in the results of the artwork, but also in how you feel about yourself. It is a great experience for all of us. I really enjoy each one of these events. You can also request a private party for your organization or group.

Make It Organic

Blog, , , , , ,

Born AgainOne of the most challenging elements of the sculpting parties is to help people see the human body as a continuous flow of organic shapes. Most people see the human body as 4 planes: side, side, front, and back. You can see the edges joining those 4 sides making them almost independent from each other. I have to repeatedly prompt people to make it organic by eliminating the sharp edges because it needs to flow. Every part of the body has independent significance and we can dedicate a lot of time on each one, but the most important aspect is to make all the separate parts a cohesive unit. It is one body. All the parts make one.

When it comes to painting there is not much of a difference in the concept. We can have many elements in a painting but it is one painting. The composition and representation of all the elements need to flow to make it all one thing. How colors are applied has a lot to do with this, pretty much the same way as blending and flowing in sculpting. I encourage people not to clean the brushes to allow the colors to mix as they paint in such a way that all the colors used appear throughout the whole painting instead of having patches of colors here and there.

Life is no different either. People often want to compartmentalized their lives not realizing that it is one life. To compartmentalize life only produces sharp edges and patches of colors that interrupt the flow and organic nature of life itself. Everything must flow and intertwine. That is the meaning of the concept of ‘blessing’, ‘being blessed’, ‘being complete’, or ‘peace’. The salutation known as ‘shalom’ to the Hebrews. Let us have it on earth as it is in heaven, and in life as it is in art.

A Great Night

Blog, , , , , ,

Photo Nov 23, 9 40 01 AMEvery night I get to teach is a great night. It doesn’t matter if it is a sculpting or painting party, a computer class, an art lesson for one person or many, a lecture or presentation, I love to teach. It feels good to empower people, to help them try new things and have fun with it. I like to challenge people to break with the fear of trying and to accept their efforts as accomplishments. Interestingly, it was not always that way. Yes, I liked the spotlight since very little and performing was a lot of fun, but teaching was something I didn’t like. It is not the same as just being in front of people, perform, and leave. Teaching requires commitment and responsibility.

When I was working on my masters in education I began looking at instructional technology as a way to teach indirectly. How does that work? Well, I wanted to design online learning environments and allow people to interact with the computer instead of me. To my surprise, the masters took me to new and very interesting teaching experiences. I was teaching art to children with disabilities, computer skills and applications to working adults and seniors, then special education. From there I began training people in different areas during the years I was pursuing a PhD in education. In December 2012, once I achieved the PhD, I applied to many universities to teach either online or on campus. It seems almost impossible to get a faculty job in a university if you don’t have experience. Of course, you are not going to get experience if no one hires you. Then you get the ‘non-qualified’, ‘over qualified’ (not sure what that means), or the ‘we decided to go with another candidate’ thing.

Last week I received notification that I’ve been accepted as part-time faculty in a university, and not an art class. My PhD is in education and for the first time I will be able to use it in the specialty I worked so hard for. I am not going to reveal the name or location until I take a selfie on campus. Although my Facebook friends already know. Teaching just got more serious. I will continue teaching art and the sculpting and painting parties, the workshops, the seminars, and the private art lessons, but teaching 3 times per week in a continuous seminar for a semester is going to be fantastic. I can’t wait to begin. I can’t wait to see the dream of being a college professor come to pass.

Drawing for the Sake of It

Blog, , , , ,

17286_10150553904574956_2974407941693687897_nDrawing is a great visual-spatial exercise that allows the artist to save an idea on a surface on which it can develop to become a piece of art. Some people consider that first draft or what we call gesture drawing as an acceptable technique to be in itself a work of art. Either way, the process of drawing is helping the development of visual coordination, space management, composition, proportions, angles, volume, shapes, light, and shadows, and other elements. The outline separates the main figure from the background and from other objects to understand the position of each in relationship with the others.  These skills can be transferred to other domains as interior design, architecture, fashion, web design, and graphic design.

19112_10150554329469956_7007279029949506622_nDrawing also provides relaxation, and meditation benefits. It is a good exercise to just draw for a few minutes as part of a daily discipline. In those moments those drawings might not seem or considered a finished product, but the fact that one is getting involved in the creating process, one is building bridges neurologically and cognitively that could lead to complete works of art in the future. The original idea might change, evolve, develop, or remain the same. It could be just a foundation, or a detail element. One might not use that idea for a long time if you use it at all. The most important aspect is that moment. Is about drawing for the sake of it.

Can’t draw? I think that is a lame excuse. Can’t draw what? Can’t draw how? Would you tell a 2-year-old kid that he or she lacks drawing skills? We are not 2-year-old but if they do it with freedom and not interested in the opinion of others, why not us? Why can’t we just take a pencil and scratch a paper? We create our own judgements and we allow other people to pass judgement feeding their ego and selfishness. Draw because it is fun, peaceful, entertaining, and relaxing. Draw because you enjoy it and not because others need to like it. They don’t have to.

Studio Time Without Studio Space

2 CommentsBlog, , , , , , ,

10897129_10150521204179956_2246822379688977574_n-2

Many people hate Monday. I like Monday. Monday is my studio day, or at least it used to be. Technically it still is but certain things changed since we moved. I no longer have a dedicated studio space. The studio space was that corner in which I could work on my art without restrictions and where people came to take private lessons. It was also my space to think, plan, and generate ideas for current and future work. Not having that space sounds like a terrible loss, but it is not. I can have studio time without studio space.

Discipline and practice is not limited to a physical space but to the actions required to maintain the habits to continue creating and improving technique. Yes, the space is necessary to expand those creative moments, teach, keep supplies, and being able to come back to the work at any time. I feel like I’m taking a sabbatical from sculpting and painting. Nonetheless, I keep myself busy drawing everyday, and I am doing the painting and sculpting parties more frequently too. Now that I am writing again that also keeps my mind busy and gives me the chance to meditate and articulate ideas and my mental process. I’ll be teaching a computer class soon as well. Beginning next school semester I’ll be teaching in a university too. With all of these things happening at once I have to consider the world my studio.

I don’t think there is a need to limit myself to the physical studio space to dance with muses and get ready for what comes next. I don’t want to have a studio space as I had before. I want something else for which I’m getting ready. As the weather gets warmer I will be painting outside more, and who knows, maybe I’ll be sculpting again soon. That I can do while I wait to understand God’s will regarding studio space where I can display my art, work, and teach. Until then I enjoy studio time every day. Everything will come to pass in due time. There are so many things to look forward to this year.

Read also Studio Time: Work on Something or Nothing & The Discipline in The Discipline