Looking Forward

just to see what this new year will bring. Happy holidays and a happy new year to all of the few and selected people who read this blog. smile! it's only another year...

Unruffled

calm, serene... take time to be with yourself.

San Sebastian Sketch

Only a sketch... debating if i should start painting it.

Keeping the ballerina group.

Even if you have to go door to door asking for a little help.

simple loose sketch

simple sketch
Originally uploaded by thenamewillcarry

i'm in a funk... so i gotta keep painting.

Tomato

tomates
Originally uploaded by thenamewillcarry

Los tomates de la suegra... has a nice ring to it.

float on

float on
Originally uploaded by thenamewillcarry

Good news will work its way to all them plans.

2BP or Two Brains Project

2 brain project
Originally uploaded by thenamewillcarry

This is a collabo piece with a friend of mine. It's a loose sketch of what eventually will become a silkscreen print. maybe you'll see it around the city... for now it's just a piece of paper on the floor of my studio.

old tree

old tree
Originally uploaded by thenamewillcarry

old tree... old sketch revisited.
it's hot out there in the sun, but here in the shadow of this tree everything is just perfect

The Ball

The Ball
Originally uploaded by thenamewillcarry

if only the ball would roll off the table... imagine the possibilities.

San Felipe

San Felipe
Originally uploaded by thenamewillcarry

A little painting of San Felipe del Morro. Looks stormy doesn't it?

better smiling...

better smiling...
Originally uploaded by thenamewillcarry

sent this to the gallery... they loved it! go figure. i'm alright with it.

Tired of the flower

Tired of the flower
Originally uploaded by thenamewillcarry

I'm really excited about this piece. I might work the background. Haven't decided yet. I think it works with the white background, although i can hear one of my professors saying you need to have more, more more... The gallery called to say get happier models. I don't see this kid as a sad one but whatever. I'll keep this one and make a new one for the gallery. A happier one.

Little blue sketch

Little blue sketch
Originally uploaded by thenamewillcarry

if i get close enough to the computer i can hear the waves... late sketch last night.

Mama

mama
Originally uploaded by thenamewillcarry

Mom wants to work. Done today 11/26/09. I think i woke up on the wrong side of the bed today. Nothing a good meal with family won't cure right?! Happy giving thanks day!

Sailboat

sailboat
Originally uploaded by thenamewillcarry

Just a lonely little sailboat at sunset. I wish i was there.

Home is...

casa
Originally uploaded by thenamewillcarry

Small sketch painting done this morning.

Today i woke up looking at the mountains instead of the city. In an effort to remind myself what i'd see, i made this. It's pretty loose but i like it. I'd like to say "me la saque del sistema" I hope you enjoy!

Kisko Budweiser

Kisko Budweiser
Originally uploaded by thenamewillcarry

Remeber the comedy show on tv?? i do. So i was watching some old kiosko on youtube and got inspired to paint this. Trying to hold on to the old tradition of the neighborhood store. The store owner knew everyone and you could actually trade items for other things you needed most. This traditional store has long gone never to be seen again, thanks walmart! The old store i remember as a child was in the town of corozal and it had a 5 cent pinball machine. I was probably 4 years old. I had fun playing that machine. The store is a pizza place now. a really bad one indeed.

Weekly Painting

Weekly Painting
Originally uploaded by thenamewillcarry

This painting took me a week to finish with all the interruptions. I think it came out well. Very bright and interesting. The steps on the background lead up to a little plaza where i play dominoes with older people. It's funny to look around and not see a young person, all you see are older gents and ladies playing domino or discussing a move. Anyways, i think it works compositionally, better yet it evokes a certain and unique personal emotion. I'm going to put it on display soon so feedback is around the corner. At least the people whom have seen it like it.

amapola

amapola
Originally uploaded by thenamewillcarry

I did this a few days ago. I saw an amapola on the cover of a magazine and got ispired. It's a really beautiful flower and it works really well with the girl. Nice contrast. I might like it more than the gallery owner but whatever. I might paint one more this week to end with the gallery pieces. I have to start painting stuff for the festival that's coming up. so we'll see what happens. later

whatchulookinat??

whatchulookinat??
Originally uploaded by thenamewillcarry

I've been slacking with the gallery pieces. This is the last one. The guys at the gallery told me it didn't have the feeling of calm and purity the other ones had. Maybe since i've been so caught up with my friends lay-offs it's being reflected here. Lost of innocence. Finally figuring out that you can't be a kid any longer. that you have responsibilities that you will not evade. It's time to be serious cause these are serious times. I'll play later

Is there hope anymore??

balun
Originally uploaded by thenamewillcarry

This painting is basically inspired in 2 things. A band called balun and bansky. i see that light a bit brighter now... thanks!

The great majestic pineapple

pina
Originally uploaded by thenamewillcarry

So this is the latest painting for the restaurant. This friday is pineapple day and the painting is ready, finally on time. it's bigger than the last 2 i made, 60x42 more or less. It turned out ok... i'm not impressed. But it's a good attempt considering that i haven't been painting that often.Now i feel like i'm back again, wanting to paint all the time. Even if what i paint sucks. I'm getting inspired by everything! so i'll keep at it.

On a sad note;
Mr. Bernie Fuchs died. Mr. Fuchs your paintings were AMAZING! thank you for the inspiration!

Cebolla

cebollin
Originally uploaded by thenamewillcarry

I did this painting last night. I have to do a theme painting for a special night at Fratellis. This Friday is all about the onion. So i did this piece. I was working on another one for this event and i almost finished it but it looked nasty and horrible. I used a different type of canvas and it was just working against me. I stopped working on it! I almost called my friends at Fratellis to tell them i wasn't going to do one for this event. They were sure to be disappointed. So late last night i got in the mood (maybe the fact that i was disappointing someone got me going) and i finished this piece. I like it a lot. I might just keep it for myself since i used a color scheme that would go well in my house. Anyways i hope you like it! i hate disappointing people so if i have, i'm really sorry!!

La Perla before and after...

perlasketch
Originally uploaded by thenamewillcarry

This is the painting i've been working on this week. It's the biggest piece i've done so far, i think. It's 48x72 as you can see from the canvas tag... how retarded of me. It took me a while and i don't even know if it's finished. It's one of those things when you like what you have so far, it could be better, but you don't touch it because you think you'll ruin it. That's how i feel. It happens to me fairly often, so my solution is to let it be, for a while, hang it somewhere... see the reaction and then decide if i'll change it. For now, i'm putting it down and letting it be. hope yous like it!

The tango of the solitary pear

pera
Originally uploaded by thenamewillcarry

I'm working with a friend, who is the head chef at Fratelli, in a new idea for the restaurant. They decided to make a 5 course meal using one vegetable or fruit. This happens every last friday of the month. This friday they want to use the pear. So this is the painting i did for this event. Last month was tomatoes. I did a painting for that too but i forgot to take a picture of it. So now i'm working on another painting for the restaurant that has nothing to do with pears. Just to hang there and make the place a little more inviting. It's a painting of la perla. Hopefully it'll turn out ok and i will post it here. For now enjoy the pear!!

Last night

night
Originally uploaded by thenamewillcarry

I painted this last night. Might have been the dark that made me use really bright colors. I like it though. I couldn't sleep last night so i just kept going. It was more of painting a bit and then waiting for it to dry. It was so humid it took a while for me to work and finish this. I actually wanted to use the blow dryer but it was real late and i do have neighbors. now i go back to sleep

New Painting 11.05.09

sunglasses
Originally uploaded by thenamewillcarry

I finished this piece today. I"m pretty pleased with it. I really like the colors and the background. I think it works well. This week i need to finish a couple more of these for the gallery. I still feel a little sick. This horrible cold has gotten the best of me. But now it's starting to fade and i need to get back in the race. anyways i hope you like it! peace

Jake and pink chair

Jake and pink chair
Originally uploaded by thenamewillcarry

Made this silkscreen this week. I like it. It's jake, my dog and a pink chair. Making silkscreens is really hard when it's raining out. I have to wash the screen and it's sort of difficult when the weather is against you. So i made it anyways and now i'm sick. I think i have a mild flu case or i might have an infection because, silly me, i didn't use protection when handling the fumes of the adding fluid and the spirits. Wanna Know why i didn't have protection? cause everyone ran out of masks!!! why in the world people in puerto rico are buying masks???! don't even tell me it's about the swine flu!! cause that would be ridiculous. Anyways i finished it and my throat hurts. Today i'm going to start a painting for the gallery. If i finish it today i might post it. Stop by later aight...

Slow Day

Such is Life right now. Less demand...

Now i want to point out that instead of hearing how bad everything is right now, i'm hearing a lot of comments about hard work. People really want to work, and work hard. It should've been like this since the beginning. We all now know how hard life can be. We won't complain. Instead we are going to work harder and harder. What's our other option? give up? the people i know don't give up! we are hard workers, we worked hard before and we will work twice as hard now! even if there's no line to get a piragua! we will make that piragua the best f@@#$ piragua you'll find anywhere in the world!

new painting

This is today's new painting. I told a friend i had some doubts about it when i was sketching it. As it turns out the painting completely changed from the original sketch and i still have doubts about it. Maybe it's the "i'm not pleased with my work" artist in me... i'll put it aside, show it to the gallery owner and see what he thinks.

Yeah you know me!

Here is my recent painting. I've been wanting to do some art around the city... some would call it graffiti but i want to do them where ppl are supposed to do them. Known-legal-public-spaces. No running from the cops! had my share of that. Since i've been looking at urban art... this piece came to be. I like the expression on her face and the fact that it's a girl. We always see this urban movement to be male oriented but it's in fact a culture movement not exclusive to the male gender. as to most of everything that happens in this world... well maybe the old testament. Hope you like it and if you don't you can tell me why... trust me i won't mind. I underwent harsh critics in college...

The Show

I want to take a moment to thank everyone that went to the show, the opening night and the days after. Thank you to all the clients that have called me pretty much everyday, no matter what time :( to congratulate me! And a big, BIG thank you to the clients that actually bought the pieces at the show. That support makes us artist want to keep going . Emotionally and Economically. Specially during this horrible recession. I really appreciate all your support. The show will be up probably a month and some. So be sure to stop by @ Siena Art Gallery in Old San Juan, Puerto Rico.

Thank you for making this a great first solo show!!

Ready for the SHOW

Invite
Originally uploaded by thenamewillcarry

Here's the nice little invite my brother designed. Pretty in your face i guess. I don't like to have feet up on my face but i think it looks good and catches your attention. This painting is one of my favorites. It's a diptych. The other painting that goes with this one is of a pair of pink crocs. I'll upload it too so you can see where i was going with this. I really like how the feet turned up. I'm actually pretty satisfied with both of this paintings. They were all process. I thought of the idea. Called marla to get me a model, got the pink crocs and the rest is pretty much there. It has a little Japanese inspiration as to the background. If you know me then you know i'm down with japanese prints. I wanted to incorporate some of the characteristics and the flatness into the painting. Anyways, the show is on March 19th 2009. Siena Art Gallery. Old San Juan, Puerto Rico. Be there!

maybe you'll see this around

Commissioned piece. it's going to be at a bar maybe to replace an older version. this piece might be finished. i still have to tweak it a little but it's mostly there. I did this piece cause i know the owner and he's really into politics. has been that way since forever. He talked me into it. I like the image but it has been soo over used. There's a wine with this image on it. Some people don't know the power of this image. That's why the client had to convince me to do it. I had to make sure this wasn't going to be used as a symbol of look at me i'm cool, i'm down with rebels. I hope he likes it...

TITLE???

Honestly, i don't know what to call the show. I have the owner of the gallery working on it, the administrator of the gallery working on it. My brother, mother and girlfriend on it. Part of the ad agency working on it. my friends on it and i might even ask you to be ON IT! We just can't get to an agreement. It would be great if i could just say i want this to be the tittle but... i can't. I just don't know how to summarize my work into a snobbish phrase. It would be better if i had a concrete proposal to this show but since the gallery let me do whatever i wanted, i painted exactly what i wanted. From the soul out. Yes the show has to do with children and all that that involves. Hope, play, convergence of cultures and so forth... we still can't manage to pin point one of the most important (some think) aspect of this show. So here i am writing about this... trying to clear my head of any damaging ideas. Hoping (a word thrown around like a baseball in the 1930s) i might come up with a great pair of words that would complete what's already there. When the world is crumbling, the earth temperature is rising, everyone's loosing their job, poverty is around the corner, health insurance companies are mugging citizens, a-rod is now an a-hole or a-roid, i must wonder... where can i get a little bit of peace so i can name this show and turn the world into a better place... what would be my contribution to this sick little planet.

Stela... the end!

saturday.



sunday.

This is how this piece looked like during the weekend. I pretty much finished it today. I still have a few details to take care of but i think it's ready. My client has had the flu or a bad cold all weekend. So he left me alone, didn't call all this time. I thought he was mad at me. I tend to be a little too honest and brutal sometimes wit people. Anyways, he called today to let me know he's sick. I gave him the good news that the piece was done already. He was pleased. He hasn't seen it yet so i hope he likes it. So here's part of the process and the final piece.
I'M DONE BIATCH

Genesis:of Stela.

stela
Originally uploaded by thenamewillcarry

This is, i think, my final piece for the upcoming solo show. It was commissioned, so it's probably off the market. I wanted to document the genesis of this painting because i've met this little girl and she is awesome. Very cool kid. Not like the other ones i've had to deal with. Anyways, i hope this painting turns out fine. I'm very pumped about it but i still feel intimidated by it. I want to finish it but i don't want to fuck it up. I still have a few weeks to work on it. No pressure on that part, but i have a person calling me and asking for developments and pictures. They taught us a lot in school but not how to deal with annoying clients. Part of the job, i guess. I can never get used to it. Those clients make my life... interesting. So for that i thank them! back to the painting. It's a large piece but not as large as the other 15 for the show ( 5x3 and a half feet) The only thing that has me intimidated is her hair. She has curly, dirty blonde hair. Not only it's a pain to paint curly hair but to also get in there with cream colors, reds and browns... that's just a recipe for disaster. For now, i'm just going to work on her skin. Once i've done that... then i'll cross the river.