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Here it is - my second blog of the year and it's going to be a quick one. I have been swamped with work with the restoration project and my Painting workshops I am teaching but I was able to finally finish a portrait I have been working on for about a year and I have found some time to continue my work on the "Filtered" series.
The portrait is a piece I started a few years ago but I always felt that it lacked something I just wasn't sure what it was. But after starting the pixel pieces it hit me "that's where it needed to go" I remember thinking and after that it just took off. Working on this portrait actually inspired to start another piece that is in process now, which is taking it's own form and that's what I really love about the creative process, it takes me to so many different places and now I am finding it a bit easier to follow where ever it may take me. it may seem at times that a lot of my work doesn't relate to each other but I know when I look at these works that they all have a connection.
Okay so now I'm going to finish up in my studio and wait for the snowstorm also coming soon look for exclusive interviews from my fellow citizens on the Arts and Culture and how they relate to them.
It's the start of a new week and a new year so I have decided that this is the year that I share my insights as a Artist living and working on the south side of Chicago with all of you on a weekly basis.
So here it goes, I am not in a habit of sharing my political views on this blog but the incidents of this past weekend have made me realize how much more work we have to do as a society. My condolences go out to all the victims from the arizona shootings and my wishes for the safe
recovery of Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords and all the victims that are in recovery.
Now for all the goings on in the studio. After a successful fall exhibit season I have cleaned up the studio for the new year and am getting ready for new works. The blocks are piling up in the studio and with my latest project the restoration of The Providence of God Church going very well, I will lots to share with you all this year!
I also wanted to share this project I was asked to collaborate with, with you all. Its called SCVNGR Hunt en Tu Ciudad sounds like a great idea and maybe it'll stir up some interest in a little something that we all could use, culture it's run by Remezcla
Okay so it's been a long weekend for me after teaching 91 kids on Saturday we checked out Rana Santacruz at the Mayne theater I have to admit that I've never heard of this guy before but I was impressed it was a great concert! very different and afterward got a chance to talk to him and I was very impressed with the creative spirit.
So with this said I ask you all to think about what your role is in our society and how can we strengthen this great country we live, work and create in.
I'm back and asking the age old question "if a Mexicano/a falls on the border and no one sees him/her do they really…" The fact of the matter is that after attending a really great lecture at the SAIC where a couple of friends where speaking at I realized that as much potential that the Mexican community has here in Chicago between the cultural aspects and the sheer buying power for some reason the Mexican/American community is basically invisible. Well as much as I would like to get on my soap box and lecture for days about this situation I'm going to leave it at that if any one has anything to add to that feel free to write.
Now back to the purpose of this post, to keep you all updated an what's going on with my work in the studio. I have kind of paralyzed with all kinds of concerns at the studio most of which is financial. Work is slowly starting to come back and my painting continues to go on a very adventurous path I am in the process of trying to sell off earlier works to make space and raise funds for the studio. My group at Community Links H.S. is frustrating me as much as anything right now it seems that all these kids that "want" to learn to paint have all of a sudden become soccer "stars" or would rather play dodge ball. Huh! I mean I really like the group and I know they're young H.S. kids but as someone who values time more than anything it is very frustrating.
And there it is is the true purpose of this blog and to my knowledge all blogs, my complaint box so thanks for listening and I look forward to any responses.
Oh and just to let you all know I am getting ready for a solo exhibit at Chicago State University in September so hopefully I will still be able to maintain my studio so I can get work out for that.
Here we are on the holiest of holy days in American society, yes super bowl Sunday. So good luck to all participants and I'm going to try eat as much healthy junk food as I can without making it a "super bowl" of my own.
So have fun and I really hope that if the Saints win they march into NOLA and make it a better place for everyone that resides in NOLA whether it's the "quarters" or the "lower 9th".
Well I have to wish you all a very happy new year and hope that you have an incredible 2010, before I get distracted…again.
I can't believe it's been over a year since we were sitting on that airplane leaving "la cuidad de la esperanza" and realized there was smoke coming into the cabin as we hear "ladies and gentleman as you might have noticed…" then quick motion of the airplane turning left. What followed was the longest 7 minutes of my life.
Well that was our introduction to 2009 and now it's gone but not forgotten the year brought some great things, an incredible solo exhibit at Latino Arts, Inc. Milwaukee, great times with good friends and family, meeting new friends and all the rest of the trimmings!
Now it's time to look at present, with 2010 to look forward to lot's of creating in the studio and sharing all this again with the people on my life.
As I was sitting at my computer last week I noticed a email message facebook from someone that I thought would be a good friend who at last joined the modern world of facebook, what followed to my dismay was this:
Hi Everyone, Apparently, someone named Luis De La Torre is contacting my friends, especially those who live in Los Angeles, and asking to be Facebook “friends” because he is a friend of mine. He is NOT a friend of mine! He is a local Chicago D-list painter who tries to attach himself to people in the arts he can get favors or information from. He has already succeeded in "friending" some people I know on FB. Who you choose to be friends with on FB is up to you, but if you are contacted by this guy and he wants to be friends with you because you and he have "mutual" friends___like me, I would ignore it! If I were you, I would also "block" him through the security setting so that he cannot see YOUR friends. Sorry this has happened. If you have any questions, please contact me. Judithe Hernandez
Yes you can imagine my horror, this is just completely off the wall!
For the past years I have prided myself for going out of my way to help the people around me, whether it's letting them use my studio to work in, or getting them into galleries or introducing them to people that would support them by purchasing there work or set up exhibits for them. I even have given people materials to work with and shown them how to use the material.
And now this, well I didn't really feel that I needed to respond to this person because my track record speaks for itself and to tell you the truth I was kinda entertained with this since after I received this I was added to several people's FB friends list in LA, so I just let it slide.
But after showing this letter to a couple of trusted people around me and seeing there reaction of utter disgust I really felt the culprit had to have some kind of illness I mean why would a person who until a couple of months ago called herself a friend of mine, and that I even helped hang her work. Why would this person send out such a vile letter, then I remembered the advice of a friend when he told me " most artists are backstabbers, so watch your back you can't be honest with Artists" thank you C.T. I have learned from you maybe late but I have learned.
With that said Happy New year to you Post- Racial America I'm glad that we can all get along!
even if we can't get along within our own race or political parties or building!
Yep it's been a while since I've posted a new blog and I'm feeling quite ashamed, well not really but what can I say writing is not my forte.There has been much going on around here my solo exhibit at Latino Art's Inc. has come and gone, it was worth while if you had a chance to see the exhibit thank you and please feel free to let me know what you thought. 27 new pieces including 5 - 6'X9" canvases almost a whole year of work for this exhibit and it was awesome I received some really great feedback and hopefully some the work will find a home.Well that's about it for now I'm off to paint, I'll try and get more consistent with blog but as always - have fun out there!Oh and for those of you who are interested I will be having an impromptu exhibit at the studio so stay tuned.
Well now here it is the season we've all been waiting for, summer better known as "construction" in Chicago. Once again I find myself posting a long overdue blog and in my studio which at 6:50am was 97º, Yes I am very grateful for the heat of summer so I won't complain about it.
Work in the studio is going slower than planned but I do feel that the work will be ready for August and it will be a very telling exhibit in September. Now I have to start figuring out what needs to be done with everything past this Fall, I am trying to get work out there to be exhibited. Either I will start having once a month gatherings at the studio or ship the work wherever it needs to go. I would like to write a little about the evolution of my new work because it helps me to put it in place in my own thoughts. One of the things I am slowly learning from my mentor, Carlos Estrada-Vega is that thinking too much about what your working on stops you from doing it. Progressing into the work, changing it is being affirmed that this approach is affective. It's a lot easier now for me to approach the work and not be stymied by constant barrage of inner questions just get the work out and it speaks for its self.A big part of my work has been driven by a constant desire to master the materials I work with be it water color, oil paint or fresco and it's interesting taking a look back how much this yearning has made me a kind of slave to this materialism. I look around my studio and I see a never ending source of inspiration people always wonder why I can't leave my studio, it's not that I'm obsessive. it's really that I'm like kid in a candy store and believe me I appreciate everything that the gods of the universe has provided for me so 97º or 57º waterfall or no water in the bathrooms I will always be happy to spend time in my studio where ever it is.Alright now, that I'm done with that, check out my new and improved website and let me know what you think. http://www.DeLaTorreArts.com
