New work

In my other blog I have a written a little about the reason for being absent from my blogs for such a long time. I usually post realistic work in that blog and abstract work in this one. I have been quite busy and have teken several workshops here in the city. I hope that now, I can enjoy reading all of your bogs and see the wonderful work I have always enjoyed.

I posted several pieces that are mostly just exercises of these intense workshops on my other blog and a little of what the workshop consisted of. The link above is of that blog if your are interested in what the workshop was all about.

I am posting two works on this blog that are abstracts but if your read the other blog it will be easier to understand the outcome of the work.

Una pizca de Lila

Mixed Media on MDF board
20X16 inches

Why Not?

I know I am always saying that I have not posted for one or another reason, and again I am coming up with the same statement. I have started taking a figure class at our new art center and this being something I had never done before, I am quite enthused about it. The class is a three hour class three times a week for a trimester. I believe it will not only help me loosen up a bit, but it also might help me find a new approach with my abstracts. I have nothing to show from this class yet because so far, it is contour line and gestural drawing without looking at the paper, but I do have an abstract I finished yesterday.

Acrylic, ink, gesso and liquid watercolor on strectched canvas. 27 x 29 inches.

Naica Crystal Caves

I have not been able to post any abastract work on this blog, because I have been working on a realistic charcoal, and these usually take me quite a while. I am also taking a live figure class at our new Art Center that I hope will help me be a little more creative with my abstract work. In the meantime I would love to share this incredible film about the caves in the Naica mountains, in the northwestern state of Chihuahua, Mexico. The website is also very interesting to read and I understand this project was started in 2006. I keep going over and over this film and can't help wondering how many other gorgeous sites are under our feet waiting to be discovered.

Naica Crystal Caves

Mammillaria Bocasana

I don't intend this blog to turn into a blog about Cacti, but I am working on a new abstract project, so while I finish that, I'll post some of my cacti that have been blooming.

Years ago when I became interested in Cacti, we would go out hicking and come across some beautiful species. At that time we were surrounded by so many that it never occured to me that it was illegal to pick one out of the earth and bring it home. I thought it was like picking wild flowers. That was how this particular one became part of my collection. It has been cared for and with us, for many years and I have often thought that I might have saved it from being crushed by heavy machinery, while making way for a new highway or land being turned into agicultural soil.

These are not easy to identify because they are so similar sometimes to others in different regions. If I have done my research right, this is a Mammillaria BOCASANA poselg that grows in the state of San Luis Potosi. The stems are only about and inch high and they have very tiny yellowish tinted flowers. They bloom only once a year in March.

Ferocactus Histrix

San Luis Potosi is noted for having one of the largest varieties of cacti in the world. When you first see one while hiking or driving on the highways you think they all very similar until you start taking interest in them and then realize that the difference and variety of species is immense. Some are very small and just barely visible because just the top parts show up above the soil, others are very tall and thin, while others like this particular one are at least 3ft. high and about 2 ft. in its circumference. One this big is usually close to a century old. They usually grow on the sides of mountains but will also be found on flatter land. One thing that I have noticed is that if you find one, you will probably find at least a dozen several yards apart in the same area and then if you walk a bit more, you will find a completely different species close by.

The one in this picture is a few yard from our ranch home and it will be in full bloom in about a week. All of those buds will turn into gorgeous bright yellow flowers and after they dry and fall off, the fruit will be left on the cactus. It is a small elongated fruit about the size of a fig in colors ranging from burnt orange to deep red. They have a sweet sour taste to them and many people love to enjoy the savor while drinking tequila.

Untitled pour study

I had all of the intention to try a horizontal quiet piece with little coloring and many coats of different colored glazes, but I just can't seem to stay away from the squirting, pouring and experimenting. This is acrylic, ink, liquid WC over watercolor paper pasted onto MDF board. I have always had problem with my WC paper buckling up when working this way but I was amazed at how easy it was to control the pour after pasting the paper to the MDF board. This is very small , 9X8 inches, but once I can get the control with different colors I will try bigger formats.

Experimental Mixed Media

I usually do my Mixed Media pieces on MDF board or canvas , but I have been away from this medium for quite a while now and thought it would be fun to experiment on cotton paper. I used acrylic, acrylic ink, liquid watercolor, pigmented sand, tissue paper, oatmeal paper and amate paper on cotton paper. 16X16 inches.

A touch of seriousness

Downhill

On the Edge

I really never though I'd like to paint something grey but it is a good exercise , at times I am attracted to these and others not. I guess color attraction definitely has to do with moods and feelings at the moment they are painted, or viewed.

Some small abstracts

It has been a long time since I last posted in this blog but I have been busy trying to learn the wet on wet technique in realism and some Plein Air, which I post on my A Constant Search blog. I'll be doing a little more abstracts along with the other work, from now on.

Plumbago y Lila

The classes at the Institute of Bellas Artes have come to an end for the second semester and will start again in September. After the show last month, I have worked some much smaller pieces and have been working on my oil still life over grisaille. That one I have finally finished and will hope to post on my other blog this week. I have also been working on a big Mixed Media piece that I hope to post on this blog as soon as it is finished.

I had never worked with this color palette before and found it quite pleasing.

Oil on MDF board. 12X12 inches

Abstract Vases

This is a Mixed Media piece abstracted from life. I love to work mixed media, there is something freeing about it and being able to let yourself go with different materials.

Oil over tissue paper and wall texturizer over stretched canvas. 32X16 inches

Landscape or what?

I painted this one with the idea of an abstracted mountain landscape with a lake in front, from my imagination, but I had it leaning vertically at the Institute and the director mentioned liking it that way better. I still don't know how I will hang it or sign it. The format is interesting but needs a very special place. Oil on canvas 12X59 inches

End of the School Year Exhibit

Last Wednesday was the end of the year show, for the students that belong to Lina Lanz's Experimental worshop. Being a Wednesday, there were not a lot of people during the inauguration but I think it was set up nicely and as it got later, people started coming in. I will find out a little more on Monday about the comments. Unfortuntely I didn't want to lug my heavy DSLR camera and I took a small point and shoot. I regretted that, after I saw the pictures, but I will post them because the Gallery of Difusion Cultural of the Instituto de Bellas Artes, is a very nice architectural space. Some of these showing in the pictures are mine and others, the work of my other 9 classmates. I wish I had better pictures to show but I might be able to show some later.

Ritmo y Movimiento

My plans for this painting was to cover it up and start a new one but the teacher at the Bellas Artes Institute asked me not to and to please include it with my work for the Bellas Artes Institute exhibit on May 7th. It looked so violent to me when I finished it, but I have decided to let it be and wait for the comments on it at the exhibit.

Diptych

This was a fun painting that started with a completely different idea but the painting took me to the final result and I actually ended up pretty pleased. Something a little different, although I also see that the bottom half works well as a painting on its own.

Deep Water Blues

I had mentioned in a comment that there is one of my paintings that to me looks quite aggressive for my liking. This one isn't it, I still have to bring that one back from the Institute to take pictures of it.

The show will be on May 2nd and I have quite a few now, so I will work on varnishing, framing and signing them. After this show I would like to try a series of abstracts with a lot more glazing, very few shapes but quite a bit more texture. I have also been trying my hand on wc paper using watercolors, inks and different texturing effects. There is so much I would love to do, but just not enough time.

Retreat before the Storm

This is another one with the same color palette but I do promise the next will quite different.

Oil on canvas 32X48 inches

Two new ones

I finished these last two recently for the upcoming show, although I am still working on more so I don't quite know which six I will choose yet, of those I have finished. These seem to be almost the same color palette but my last ones are quite different.

Naufragio

This was going to be a series of two together with the previous one, but to me this one has a different feel to it so I have titled it with a new name.