The Joy on Her Face

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Photo Dec 05, 11 12 33 AM“I did this myself!”… With sparkly eyes full of satisfaction and proudly showing off her sculpture to her friends, this lady at the Milford Senior Center made my day. The joy on her face was priceless. During the last few months I’ve been conducting a few clay sculpting workshops at the center sponsored by Always Best Care Senior Services. In our last workshop, each one of the participants created a bust. I went to the center to glaze the pieces and return them to their makers. Three of the ladies were sitting in the living room of the center hanging out with their peers and listening to music. I came in and delivered their pieces.

Wow! If you could only see the joy and satisfaction on their faces when they saw their work ready to be displayed. Their peers were very impressed and began giving compliments. They were so happy. I must confess I almost cried. They were so excited and proud of their creation. That for me is one of the most rewarding aspects of what I do. The satisfaction I get when I see them happy is something I don’t have the intellectual capacity to articulate in words.

Photo Dec 05, 12 06 59 PMI honestly believe that what I do means nothing if it is not touching people, inspiring people, making them think, consider, reflect, wonder… Moreover, if there is something I want to see is change. I want to see people happy when they find themselves discovering new talents. I want people to identify themselves with my art and allow each piece to serve as a stepping stone to tell their stories. I don’t want my art to be another dead piece in a gallery or museum. I want them to speak to people. Not only my art, but everything I do.

 

Read also Sculpting With Your Heart

How Long Does it Take

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Photo Sep 30, 10 29 20 AMIt is very possible that half of the people who see my work ask this question: How long does it take to finish something like this? I take it as an honest question. We humans are trapped inside the clock.  Even when traveling to another place we don’t ask how far it is waiting for a response in miles or kilometers. We want to know how far it is in time measures: “How long does it take to get there?” We create deadlines in an attempt to beat time. The workplace establishes a shift based on hours. In many of these places it is of little importance quality and production than the time spent there. We are measuring nanoseconds to switch from one screen to another with a touch of a finger and we panic if takes “too long”. Even sharing a cup of coffee with someone is based on how much time they have for us at that moment. It seems that control is leaving us out of control and ripping away some of our humanity.

Yes, I understand we need to be accountable for what we do and time is a way of measuring productivity, results, and outcomes. I understand that time is important to keep things running “under control”. However, what does it matter how long it took when the result is already in front of them? It is not like they are waiting for me to finish the sculpture. It is there. They don’t have to wait for it. Of course, if they are requesting something specific for them, time is a concern. I don’t want to promise a massive sculpture of a horse and take ten years making it, but art takes time.

Photo Sep 29, 10 16 01 AMThe measure of time in art is not about how long it takes to make, but how long it took the artist to master the technique to make it happen. It is about how long it took to study and understand how to turn the idea into life. Time for the artist is about thinking how to pour the self on that piece. I can finish a painting in an hour or two, but it took a long time to get to that point. Even so with sculpting. I can finish a sculpture in a day but it took many years of practice, effort and sacrifice to reach a comfort level of my technique. However, the joy of creating and the bliss of the moment should not be shortened or retrained by time. The feeling is too good to rush.

The Day Has Come!

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You know what I am going to say. After months of planning and preparation, long hours and little sleep, the day is finally here. The show opens tonight! You are more than welcome to join me and witness the results of all this effort at 6:00 pm at The Gallery at Elemar, 2 Gibbs St., New Haven, CT.

the show

In November 2011 I had my first solo show. After that, each year I had a show. This year is different. The place is larger and the expectations are bigger. You can imagine my nerves. Yes, I get nervous and very excited at the same time. Each show is different and has its own expectations. However, this show is in a larger place, with a larger audience, and the expectations are higher than ever. I just want to see who comes.

While it is true we are not in control of our circumstances, it is also true that we are in control of how we react to our circumstances. For me each show is a celebration. I celebrate and enjoy each one no matter the outcome because I always feel the blessing of God, and the support of my family and friends. For me, that is the best case scenario. Everybody else who comes to celebrate is an extra blessing. It would be a great blessing if you could make it too. You won’t be disappointed. I know I won’t be.

How to Prepare for Your Show

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Close your eyes and imagine your show. Live the moment. It is like a party. Envision how your art is displayed, how people move around to see your art, what they are eating and drinking, the background music… Visualize every detail. Now, lets prepare to show our work.

I prefer to take care of most aspects of my shows myself instead of putting it in the hands of other people. I do surround myself with people I trust to help me shape the scene and to alleviate my burden. Seek their advice, listen to their opinion, but most importantly understand their support. Make sure is people who can take care of things without prompting. Otherwise you will add unnecessary stress to yourself.

torsos invitation frontI want to share with you my experience and my process to present an art exhibit. I believe that “TORSOS” opening reception Saturday, November 22 is going to be by far, my largest yet. I am not an expert in how to organize an art exhibit but I’ve been learning and I hope to get better at it. I will appreciate your input and experience. On Saturday, I would love to shake your hand and probably give you a hug (I’m a hugger and not sorry for that). You can find the info about the show HERE.

How to prepare for your show? While there are many intricacies in presenting an art exhibit this checklist might help you get started. Before you decide you want to have an art exhibit you need to be ready with a few things.

  • Short biography
  • Artist Statement
  • Description of the show
  • 10-20 pieces to show.

Word of Advise: Make sure the amount of pieces fits the venue. You don’t want your show to look like a flea market.

  • Venue, Date and Time of the show.

I try to have this at least 3 months in advance. That time allows for you to prepare and promote properly.

  • Check the place and visualize your work there, the show, make the initial vision come to life.
  • Write a press release.

There are plenty of examples and templates online in how to write a press release. If you have someone to do it for you is fine. Some people charge to write press releases. I prefer to write it myself then ask other people to edit whatever necessary.

  • Design printed material: invitations, posters, postcards, etc.

Again, if you can’t do it yourself someone else can do it. I design my own printed material. It makes me feel closer to the show.

  • Promote! Promote! Promote! My mom would say: “Invite even the cat.”

Use your printed material, mailing lists, online media, social media, word of mouth, tell your friends to bring friends… anything that can being people to your show.

  • Decide on food and drinks

Keep it simple to the extent possible unless someone else wants to pay for it. You can also ask for sponsors or wine tastings to be present. The possibilities are endless and it all depends on your budget and preferences.

  • Set up ahead of time

Heads up! There will be a lot of stress on getting ready. Go over your plan and check every detail. Pretend you are a guest and go through all of it. Be flexible to changes that won’t change the overall look and feel of the show. There are things not deserving the stress.

Be ready to enjoy the people celebrating you and your work, make new connections, be ready to answer any questions that could be presented, and have fun. It is your party!

The Creation Process

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Photo Sep 08, 9 11 01 AM

Accession Concrete (Cement) 24″ tall

I’m generally inspired first by the pose. The theme, subject, or name of the piece come at the end when the piece is already finished. Most of my pieces get a “name” or “title” when I list it. Like a child you are just waiting last minute for a sign of the perfect name. I start with the pose. The title will come.

The first step is to create a wire armature with the pose to hold the modeling clay. The sculpting begins. I like to apply the modeling clay as if I was covering bone (the wire) with muscles, tendons, and flesh. It is a lot of fun to work on the muscles and the details of the skin, the bones showing a little, the tension and the relaxation of the position. Those little details make a huge impact in a sculpture. I like to add a little craziness around the piece. It is part of my style.

When the sculpture is done, it s not really done. Modeling clay never hardens. The second part of the sculpting process begins: the mold. I use liquid rubber and then keep it together with either plaster or some kind of fiberglass material. I used plaster for this. Once the mold is ready, which is a negative holding all the details of the piece, I discard of the original and reuse the material (I can hear you screaming right now). Casting is next. For this piece I used construction cement. Once dry it is concrete (just technicalities of the terms). I could cast in other materials as well: bonded marble, bonded bronze, etc. It is what is called cold cast. The final process is to prepare for display. it is when color and final texture is applied. And done! In the video on this page you can see glances of this process. You can also watch it in youtube.

When I looked at the final piece I thought about victory. It was like the piece saying: “I made it! I conquered! I reached my goal!” So I gave it a title accordingly: Accession. It can be defined as atteinment or acquisition, as in reaching or achieving a position or rank of power. I believe it fits. Accession is displayed at The Gallery at Elemar, New haven, CT and available. The Gallery at Elemar is the host for the show TORSOS and the reception is Saturday, November 22, 6-9pm. You are invited!