Fuel Truck Depot...the drawing

Seurat inspiration in Miami

View from an Asheville winter walk

South Florida Cultural Consortium and other updates

It has been a very long time since I have posted anything that was not a painting. Part of the feeling of trepidation was that I ,simply, am not a writer, the other part is that I consider myself to be a consumer of other people's thoughts and ideas (I thought of putting a link to some of the words I tend to consume here, but found that A. I don't really know how to do that and B. there may be too many and way too many political one at that) I am compelled tonight ,however, to finally put up a few thoughts on my current state of affairs. We live in a culture that is quite content on airing personal to-doings and what-nots. Some become consumed by a great many and others are rarely, if at all, seen. Who knows, but here is my little contribution: It has been a very nice week for me. I won the South Florida Cultural Consortium http://www.broward.org/ARTS/ARTISTS/SOUTHFLORIDACULTURALCONSORTIUM/Pages/Default.aspx . This is a prize given every year to artist that are favored by that year's jury. I was, quite frankly, shocked that I was the winner. Do not get me wrong, it is not that I lack confidence in my ability to make art. It is something else. A damnable idea about what I find to be the state of art around me. A state in which I have for a long time felt both somewhat familiar and alien to. The feeling I have is like returning to the place you grew up in and finding it completely different, and yet it looks the same. Do you get what I mean? This year there must have been enough people on that jury that had some kind of affinity to my feeling that they chose me as this year's recipient of the prize. My family and I have nothing but the utmost sense of gratitude to this group of jurors. Thank you, thank you, thank you.

Updates on other areas of my life: I am experimenting with creating prints of my work for my fans that have shown interest in owning a few paintings but ,understandably, felt that they could not part with their hard-earned money in this economic climate (When oh when will this recession end?!) I should have some available very soon. I will make the announcement on Facebook when they are ready. I assure you they will be affordable. Also, I have been wondering if you, kind reader, (yes you) would suggest which painting you would like to have a print of. Write me your choice and I will compile a consensus as to which one was the most requested. Who knows maybe there will be a prize print given away. Details to the prize print will also be announced on Facebook as well, so make sure to friend me or ask me.

Other news: good thing it has been a pretty good year with these prizes-Paint Me Miami and now the South Florida Cultural Consortium and as always I am grateful to the students that are still signing up for my classes although some think I am "mean and strict" and other things (that's for another post, I am sure) because we will have another mouth to feed in some months! My wife has been pretty low-key about it and I have been quite the opposite, but we are both finally comfortable to share the news. Our son Miles is going to be a big brother!

Cruising on Flagler Evening

This painting was chosen as the Grand Prize winner for the 2012 Paint Me Miami competition

Gallery posted images of my show on their site

http://dorschgallery.com/exhibition?ex_id=152

Rooftop Reflection

Pizza on a Wet Evening

In Search for French Broad Sweets

I 75 Sunrise

Also at the Bass Art Museum this month and next, a couple of my paintings in the Debra and Dennis Scholl collection

http://www.bassmuseum.org/art/vanishing-points/

Fuel Truck Depot

Come see this and other new paintings at my fourth solo show for the Dorsch Gallery in Wynwood, Miami, Fl this October.

Some figure drawing lessons for this past semester on dry erase board

I thought I would share some of these images I found on my iphone. I am teaching figure drawing at Broward College this semester. I now wish I took more shots of some of the other lessons. These are based on a few different lessons. One on composition, another on anatomy, another on conceptualizing the figure with boxes and another on gesture drawing. These felt pretty liberating to do since I can not fuss about archiving it; I knew the eraser had to come. I think this also emphasized the idea that one must attack a project with gusto and not fear mistakes. There is always another sheet of paper or canvas or in this case a dry erase board!

Charcoal Demonstration

Fuel Truck Depot Study

developing this idea for a painting

Portrait Sketch

The model is one of my most interesting Art Appreciation students Michael Mathelier

Pitcher demonstration 3 hours

Attorney Raz Tako

This is a work in progress. I am working from life and as you know attorneys are a busy sort, heck he was even working while he posed for this drawing! It was a fun challenge however

Life Drawing sketches

still life demonstration

A simple still-life demonstration drawing

Isaiah

Wonderful night

I had the most pleasing night. My wife and I went on a date. The first one since our son was born six months ago. We went to the Frost Art Museum in Miami to see our friend Arnold Mesches and his spectacular paintings. While there, my good friend and gallery owner Brook Dorsch told me to take a look at the museum's permanent collection show on the second floor. Lo and behold there were about a dozen works of art in this room, two of which were large Peter Paul Rubens paintings and staring at them on the opposite wall was one of my paintings! The museum bought the painting last year and I was told that it was hanging in the university's president's office,which makes me feel kind of nice, but this honor of being in the same room as Peter Paul Rubens is quite another feeling! It was a good night.

Truck Rest

Hot-rod Station

Plein Aire

Poets and Artist July issue

I am in this issue. Page 92.

http://issuu.com/didimenendez/docs/osjuly2010

In the studio

Reflections of a day's work

Naples Art Museum

If you are in Naples, Florida go and see two of my paintings at the Museum through June 26th

NEXT ART FAIR

Hello everyone, if you are in Chicago this weekend come by the NEXT ART FAIR, some of my new paintings will be on display at the Dorsch Gallery booth (# 7-6112)

Thursday April 29, 2010 through Sunday May 2nd.

Monday Night Football

My dearest and son

Painting of studio parking lot after the rain

One of the aspects I am aware of is the difference in the quality of light that falls over south Florida as compared to where I am from in northern New Jersey. One of my favorite paintings by George Bellows captures that northern light most strikingly. His "Winter Afternoon" painting gives me comfort. In that painting he captures the view of the Palisades where I grew up. I knew well the little jagged orange that represent the morning sun on those cliffs. I can go on and on, my point is that the representation of light is a catalyst to certain moods for me. In this painting a torrential rain had fallen over my studio in the early evening. As it often rains here the clouds moved fast and it was clear again leaving the parking lot wet. Little puddles acted like a mirror to the sky above. The light danced and jumped all over my vision bringing me a sense of excitement that I had to try and capture.

Clothes on a Chair

Companions

images of the show

here are pictures of the paintings with their frames on. http://dorschgallery.com/exhibition/106/

Essay written by Franklin Einspruch on my work

Franklin Einspruch's words at his blog:
http://artblog.net/?name=2009-10-09-07-22-sanchez

Recorded Eyesight on view

I am pleased to announce the showing of my latest work. On view at the Dorsch Gallery in Miami at 151 N.W. 24th Street. Opening reception this Saturday October 10th at 7:00PM. Come by and say hello.

Typical Florida Drive Home

Framing art work

Well, it is official, my next solo show is on the second saturday of October at the Dorsch Gallery in Miami. (I'll announce more on this later) I just spent the afternoon at Frametastic in Hollywood picking frames for these paintings. I am very excited with our choices, Nick is a top notch professional with a good eye. It is quite tricky to pick frames; many people want to choose their own frames or none at all when they purchase my work, but at times they make odd choices. For this show, however I am going all the way in framing them so as to accentuate the right elements in the paintings. I am happy with Nick's experience along with Brook and Tyler's critical eyes. It is going to be a great show! See you there!

Airplanes and raindrops

Davie Afternoon

This image makes me think of Dave Hickey's Air Guitar for some reason.

Sunset Drive Home

I don't see a split in nature and humanity. I don't think we are at "war" with nature. Nature is the all encompassing. We are in it and of it. Sometimes stopped at a red light, you can notice one of its effects. Cheers

Frolic

In Victor Hugo's Les Miserables there is a chapter where he paints a picture of friends in the throws of joyous doings. Much laughter, drinking, and enjoyment of each other's company makes one's spirit giddy. I thought of that chapter while on a winter trip to South Carolina's Kiawah Island. In this painting I depict my friends Harumi and Christian spontaneously riding found kids bikes. Christian is obviously too big for this ride, while Harumi seemed quite comfortable and serene. I hope this painting is seen in person as there is much to the texture that my poor photo taking does not capture.

There is always a destination

There has to be a reason we respond to shiny things. I don't know what it is, but they seem to become a value we want to attain. A destination we want shines and calls us, we just have to take the road to it. Are you on that road?

Chicago

I am thinking of a general sense on how I perceive the subjects in my paintings. I can only put a stream of experiences to describe the image: the song by Frank Sinatra, a barely remembered poem about Chicago..something about big shoulders, pop culture thoughts like prohibition and gansters, great pizza, baseball, lots of guys that look like me (baseball cap, bearded, slight beer belly) Guinness, el trains, bridges, biting cold etc.. Does this make sense?

Turnpike Rest Stop

Little bursts of inspiration come in so many different ways. It always seems like they come exactly when you need them. We sometimes make goals and just when you are struggling with reaching it, something acts as that impetus to go on. Going on a road trip can act as a metaphor for attaining a goal; you have a goal/destination, a beginning(usually accompanied with excitement), a middle that can be monotonous and where we might have doubt of the endeavor. The way this light careened in this rest stop and blurred the quotidian at the exact moment I needed it, made me think of creating this piece.