Heirloom

Over the Christmas break I was commissioned by my father to paint a portrait for my mother featuring her and the newest edition to our family, my nephew Ryder Enrique. As we were deciding what the image should be I remember seeing this pic grace my phone during the first weeks after his arrival. While it may have been just another pic in a series of many on one of the almost daily trips my parents took to visit the newborn, it stood out to me. I suggested the following image and away I went.

The source pic

I like to stretch my own canvases.

Canvas prep

under-painting sketch

Shaping up

The finished piece

Came in at the nick of time, finishing it right before gifts on Christmas day. Needless to say it left everybody speechless, so I'm glad we saved it for the very end of the gift exchange. Now there's a new painting up at my parents' and they can start to put away all the undergrad work they have hanging up. 😒

Happy New Year 2019!

Even If and Especially When

New painting commission I completed for my girlfriend. Her mom's birthday came and went earlier this month and as a special present she commissioned me to paint this piece for her, her mother's mother. I stretched and prepped the canvas and began work, from a teeny tiny source photo that was a pixelated scan of the original. But where is the original? No one is certain. So I had this tiny photo and another portrait to go off on for the facial reference. In the tiny photo it's unknown what she is holding, but since she passed on early in life (I recall her late 30's) it seemed fitting she would be holding an angel feather. Flowers are too cliché and such a pain in the butt to get correct it would be like painting another face; you have to get it correct because the eye is automatically drawn to it. If it's awful or awkward then the whole piece is for naught. Which is also why her face gave me a bit of work in the form of numerous revisions and touch ups. Gotta get it right, this is a family member and it has to look it. So, when the piece was presented I was pleasantly surprised to find that my girlfriend's mother completely loves the piece and thinks it very much looks like her late mother.

The piece and the source photos, from Ms. Cornpoppy's instagram. You can see the tiny photo compared to my classic iPod.

14 Year (B)Itch

Phew! What a month it's been. This year the shortest month of the year may actually feel like the longest. Between that last crunch time of wrapping up the latest work and getting the gallery up and then holding it open almost daily for two weeks was just exhausting, and yet so exhilarating. I haven't worked this hard constantly since my college days. When it's a big plan coming to fruition it ain't so bad working long nights, getting up early and plowing through your days on 3 hours sleep. The adrenaline kicks in and ya gotta take it all the way, crunch time! Here are flicks from the show, prepping the walls, the art and gallery sitting. Didn't take very many at the opening but I can track some down and post 'em when I can.

Hector preppin to prep the walls.

3am and we just finished hanging the show, Hector, Me and Reego. Chris bounced already.

Gallery-sitting selfie

Rigo Martinez, "Draculero"

Hector Serna, detail of "Making Tapes"

Hector Serna, "Left and Right Brain"

Hector Serna, the object set-up

Marcus Ferdinand, "Jacó", stretched Giclée print

Chris Garcia, Untitled

Me and Reego, Gallery sitting selfies

Me, "I'm So Happy / I'm So Cute"

Me, "Pray the Spay Away"

Me, "Fvck Your Boyfriend"

Me, Vegetable Medley, an assortment of drawings, comics, and illustrations

Me, "Remnants of Social Lives Past" 4"x 8" acrylic on wood panel, only $200!

The idea for a art show sprang forth when we all took a trip to New York last April. We went to an open studio and were moved by just how mediocre the work was, both in subject and technique. It occurred to us we were all working artists who've been honing our craft as well as our voice for quite some time. So if these people could do art and show it then why couldn't we? From there we ended our trip with a goal, to get an art show. It somewhat fell on me to land a venue because I know people in Houston. Big ups to Lizbeth at the East End Studio Gallery for working with us and letting us put on this show. We've been planning it since last summer and it came together swimmingly. It happened to the month of our HSPVA Senior Art show, back when we were graduating in 2001. We were also the only show that year to have 4 artists instead of 3, and we set the bar high because we were the first group to kick off the whole senior show season that semester. 14 years. Man, time certainly flies. Time to plan out another show!

Me, Hector, Chris, and Reego (holding a picture of Marcus) circa 2000

This is an actual paper analog photo. Photo-bomb by Will Boone.

Us on opening night, Me, Reego, Marcus, Chris, and Hector.

Cabin Fever

Upcoming art show with all new paintings & art by me and my Homiez. Opening February Friday the 13th, 2015 from 6pm-9pm, and a closing two weeks later on the 27th, same time.

It will be on view for two weeks as I will personally gallery sit so EVERYBODY can get a peek.

When I hash it out I'll post those specific hours. I'm thinking it'll be 5pm to 8pm weekedays. I'll confirm soon. Anyway, here's the event page, so hit it up!

https://www.facebook.com/events/808481329199355

Lost Paintings

Maybe not 'lost', but practically unseen. I whipped these out a few years ago for a show called American Women. The long side is 3 feet by 2 feet. The images are images lifted from a scene in 'Coffee and Cigarettes'. As for the color palette, I thought would try something unusual.  I priced them at $150 a piece and naturally they never came home. Practically unseen, even by me.

 ah, my old living room.

see the resemblance?

Have You Seen Me?

 

Super rare Alice in Wonderland painting. I whipped it out one day, posted it up at a couple of shows and somebody scooped it up. Unlike most of my paintings, this one wasn't in my possession for too long. It was scooped up one day and I didn't even meet the buyer. Let me know if see this one around!