Thank you…

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A week ago I began this blog because my wife insisted it was a good idea. I am glad I did. So far, the site is getting 100+ views daily and people seem to enjoy reading. I am thankful for her an all the effort she is putting into my career. She has been always my inspiration and motivation. I want to thank you too for reading the blog and for those leaving comments. I appreciate that a lot. Look forward for a daily post and leave comments. I like that.

6U4A3108It is my hope that I can contribute the little I know to help someone reach their potential in the arts and in other learning domains. Learning to learn is an essential part of growing and developing intentional learning. It helps motivate and make the right decisions. I will continue creating a bridge between art and learning psychology by sharing what I know and what I’m learning everyday. I will continue sharing these magnificent experiences when teaching and when working on my new pieces.

If you haven’t been to a sculpting party before I recommend you do. You can allow someone else to go as a gift from you. We have 2 sculpting parties coming up: November 20 Sculpting Party at Cafe Atlantique in Milford, CT and December 13 Sculpting Party at The Gallery at Elemar, New Haven, CT. You need to sign up for these. The spaces are limited. You can also sign up for private lessons and even online private lessons. Contact me for details.

One last thing. Don’t forget that the opening reception for the show TORSOS is Saturday, November 22, 6-9pm at The Gallery at Elemar. It is going to be great.

Sculpting with your Heart

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Take time to disconnect from your brain and connect to your heart. Allow your fingers to appreciate the texture of the clay as you get lost in the slow waters of your emotions. Taste every second as it was the last. Turn noise into silence. Get lost!

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Sculpting Workshop at The Milford Senior Center

I was sharing some time last Wednesday with an excellent group of people at the Milford Senior Center. I wish you could experience what I perceive from them when they got immerse in their creative process, in their inner peace, in the sensation of the clay on their fingers… Time seemed to stop. In fact, they were working on their pieces in complete silence for about 10-15 minutes but the energy in that room was mesmerizing. In their faces was reflected a great sense of commitment and accomplishment, and an attitude of ownership. “I’m making this! I love how it looks! I can’t stop now!” What a great moment! I felt so proud and honored to witness this moment. Believe me when I tell you that I enjoyed it. They were lost in their task.

According to Picasso we are all artists as kids, but along the way we lost our acceptance of our creativity and imagination for a more “real” and concrete world. At some point in our development we compare the reality we see with the reality we can create and give up when the measure lacks in our eyes. We think too much about it and silence the heart. Then we impose this coward attitude into others (No need to say that art programs are being eliminated from schools). We are missing the point! “Thinking” so much blinded our sensitivity and forced our creativity to decrease to death. Creativity is proven to increase problem solving skills, allows connectedness with ourselves and the world around us, increases and restores confidence and self-value, and relieves stress. Need I say more?

I see transformations in all my classes and workshops with people of all ages and backgrounds. Read the testimonials. The only one stoping you to try something creative is yourself. No matter the age or the situation creativity is ready to rise up and give you a new spark in life. Let inspiration flow. Don’t think about it so much. Let your heart take control.

Thank you to Always Best Care in Milford for sponsoring this.

How to Explain Your Art

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182297_10150256163239956_22866031_nI honestly enjoy talking about my art, the process, the technique, the historical influences, and the possible story behind each piece. I believe that being able to explain your art is very important and increases credibility as an artist. I guess it applies to any craft. A while ago I posted something about this subject on twitter and it caused a little outrage from people who misunderstood “learning about your craft” with “going to school” and getting a formal education. Let me clarify that getting “formal” education is a good thing, but that’s not what I refer to. Leonardo di ser Piero da Vinci was autodidact. I guess that clarifies the point. It is not about formal education but to seek understanding about what you do and why because it helps you grow as an artist. If you can explain it, people will be more interested in what you do. This is what I suggest to aspiring artists:

Find yourself in time

Newsflash!!! “There is nothing new under the sun“. This is at times an ego check to artists. You are only as unique as the variation and “spirit” you provide to your art. I suggest you look into an art history book and find yourself in time. All we do have an origin and an influence somewhere in the past. Get to know the arts that influence your art, and where your inspiration draws from. Don’t be intimidated by comparisons from artists from the past. That should be a compliment.

Assess your logic

No matter how “random” you think your art is, there must be a logic behind it. This logic can be found in the use of color, the strokes, rhythm, as it can be conceptual and philosophical. You can find this logic in every movement of art including modern art. Find your logic. When you do and explain it to people they will feel more involved with your work than you could imagine.

Assess your emotions 

Maybe the explanation to your logic is found in what you feel when you are working. Art is a sensorial experience after all. Some people like to listen to a specific kind of music to get in a specific kind of mood. Anger, happiness, relaxation, tension, hope, sadness, loss, loneliness… there are many emotions that transpire in our work that if we can’t identify them someone would.

Now you can tell your story and provide the viewers with the “spirit” of the work and engage them even more. The more you immerse yourself in understanding your craft, the better you get at it, the more inspiration you find, the more engagement from your viewers you reach. Learn about other styles too, specially those that came before and after the one that identify yours. The more you know, the more your confidence as an artist will grow too. Educate yourself to explain your art.

Torsos

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Since my first solo exhibit in 2010 I look forward to this time of the year. Saturday, November 22 is the opening reception for my show TORSOS at the Gallery at Elemar (2 Gibbs St. New Haven, CT) from 6-9pm. You are invited!

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As I prepared for this show I read about women psychology.  I am not sure how to feel about the research and statistics in this subject. A little scary I confess. According to studies “80% of women in the U.S. are dissatisfied with their appearance”. This affects their confidence, relationships, and the generations to follow.

I’ve been blessed (for lack of a better explanation) with “I don’t know what” for women to open up to me in their dissatisfaction with themselves and speak to me as if they were talking to another female friend or a dad, or a psychologist. One thing always comes to the conversation is how they dislike different body parts of their whole appearance. They look at my work and try to compare themselves generally in derogatory ways. I believe we are all a work of art and the human body is a book where different stories have been written, each one different, and all beautiful.

What goes on in the mind of an artist?

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10629856_10150468566204956_1912294495818507283_nThat is one interesting question.  Each day is different. I invite you to visit my mind when I am working with a sculpture. First, from the idea to the final product it is like time travel. I have to see it finished before I begin and it is a constant back and forward in this process. Form! I work with the human body. When I look at the naked figure I see forms. The structure of the body is complex but simple at the same time if you look at the body as basic shapes joined together by skin. Lines, volume, the effects of light, the shadows it produces, the foldings of the skin based on the position of the body, the bone structure trying to show itself under the skin, the rhythm of the pose… May I continue?

The body becomes inspiration. No, I do not see the body as a sexual object when I work. There are also some angles and positions I do not like… I’m not that kind of doctor. I like to see the body as a tool to express emotions that are not often articulated. I want the figure to communicate directly to the viewer. No explanation needed if they can speak to each other soul to soul.

Through all that, while I sculpt, I could be watching a documentary, listening to music, chatting, checking my Instagram and my Facebook, considering my life situation, planing other pieces, thinking about my next show or sculpting party, figuring out my agenda, and tons of jokes that I’ll probably never say in public.

If you want to ask me about more specific questions go ahead.