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The Trap II

The Trap II is an image of life experiences, a time of discovery. Although, at times, painful, it reflects a good time now. Out of bad situations, good comes out. In the trap, the bamboo wall separates two individuals by their emotions. The end of innocence is a distinct separation.  Our instincts prove that our mind advises us that it is time to leave. Easy to say, difficult to move on. Adversity turns us into our worst enemy. It glooms over us and makes us feel like we are moving nowhere. But as years pass, we heal emotionally firmly, embracing our reality.   Going back to those times is rewarding. Our souls become a shield where nothing is left of that fragile person we were.

The Trap II was born in a week of spontaneity in Florida. The bamboo wall, with its myriads of gray and blue tonalities, emerged without the need for intricate details, a testament to the raw, unfiltered nature of its creation.
Moreover, there was a palpable sense of freedom in the air, a feeling that I was charting my own course. This independence did not hinder me from bringing this subject to life.
As intricate as the pebbles on the ground may appear, I meticulously crafted them in three distinct tones. The top, a light brown, the front, a blend of brown and blue, where a reflective light dances, and the shadow, a deep, grounding brown. Each shape is carefully formed to evoke a sense of movement.
The place is in Ecuador, where I grew up, and I go there every summertime vacation. It is close to the Ocean, but it is not exactly a place where you can swim. In short, the air is still not contaminated by industry and is suitable for enjoying.

“The Trap II” Size 50″ x 35″ Oil on Canvas 1987

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Still Life

Still, Life is dead nature, which is opposed to being alive. My interpretation brings dynamics into it. I love using watercolor because of its loose quality and flow. I encourage you to experiment with it whether you are an art student, amateur professional, or apprentice. It is a friendly media that is neat and easy to clean. I learned the basics of still Life in my early education, and now it is fun to bend its rules. Still, Life is considered by critics and intellectuals as a medium to learn, sketch, and develop a new idea. It was not necessary in the past, but never disregarded the beauty of its pigments and who does it. Artists such as Caravaggio created many of the most interesting Still-life masterpieces. From its simplicity of shapes, Matisse took it to a design level. Sargent gave a dazzling and fresh look to his images.
My Still Life blends patterns, filling the forms to create eye movement, moreover, with meaning towards environmental art. The composition elements travel all over in unison.  Within, the geometric shapes interlace from circles to triangles in harmony. Pure improvisation comes with the academic theory. In breaking the concepts,” Parallelism” echoes the outline. The shadow suggests a ground where the whole weight rests. The blue disappears above, suggesting high above the sky. Although implied forms are stiff, I managed to articulate them. These are like fish shapes, from the bending brackets to half lines on the bottom. On the other side, I grabbed the dark and light tones to create continuity. As I mentioned before, creating a reality was not my goal. This Still Life is about its symbols reaching up to the sky as fruitful and rejoicing without doubts.

STILL LIFE

Still Life

“Still Life” Size 24″ x 18″ Watercolor Medium 2024

 

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El Picador

El Picador is a playful subject about bullfight practice. The idea recalls my childhood, when I spent Sunday afternoons at home, having lunch with my family and watching the bullfights on TV.

Domes from the church no longer exist. The fire burned down the domes many years ago. The place dates from colonial times in Ecuador. All along. The Picador stands for its endurance through time; looking back at this painting makes me see in perspective the evolution of my artwork. The patterns are my source of communicating the meaning of each painting.

This early subject has many components in parallelism. Andrea Mantegna’s stage composition inspired it. It beholds the mood in the arrangement; one object holds to the other as thought fragments. Although the Picador is the main subject, the direction he points out with the spear to the kids signals a game. Then, images bounce back, and your eye begins watching encircling images from many angles.

The hung meat symbolizes the end of the animal; it is cruel and fatalist because it could be the Picador, who may be dead in the end. Notice that the Picador horse is a ceramic made from the ancient Incas. Overall, blue colors fill the sky and, in part, reflect the tonality on the church wall. Still, Sepia dominates most of the painting to recap the idea of an old, not-forgotten time.

This reminds me of a time of freedom, innocence, and enjoyment. It is in our nature to feel free to connect with our memories and wish those moments return. In short, the images continuously trigger the mind in our consciousness to remind us of the moment.El picador

” El Picador 36″ x 60″ Oil on linen 2006