El Baile
students to work in contemporary/abstract
styles. I attribute my development first to,
Dr. Alice Nichols (Department Chair). She
was a highly innovative and forward thinker.
It was she who encouraged students to be-
gin thinking beyond current trends. There-
fore, I admire Picasso and the other artists
of his time because of their innovative
departures from realism. Indigenous art
and especially sculpture including African,
Mexican and early man, has freed up many
of my inhibitions and allowed art to come
through me rather than pre-planning it.
Artists reflect the times they are living in
and it includes social, personal, political,
and spiritual, etc. All of those influences
can be seen in my work. Picasso started a
new type of art from realism to abstraction,
and he also reflected his time. Many paint-
ers, myself included, are adding collage
in their work. This could be considered a
trend. If, however, a trend means fitting
within a particular category of art then I
hope my work doesn`t. I believe it is important to challenge oneself as an artist and to create on the
edge and beyond current trends. It is the way art moves forward. It is up to the public and the art
world to determine if my work fits within a trend.
Can I define my style? ? I usually paint large. Most of the time I paint human figures. A stroke of
paint, the way I draw with paint, the subjects and colors I choose, the way I think………..all of it de-
fines MY STYLE.
One of my goals has been to exhibit work in Europe. It was presented at the Palace Commenda de
Pre, Genoa, Italy, March 1st, to 15h, 2017. The Commenda is a historic building dating back to 1100.
Eleven of my paintings were introduced by the Cultural Ambassador for UNESCO Prof. Manrico Mur-
zi. He read one of his original poems in front of each one. Those works will be in various exhibitions
in Germany within this next year. My goal is to have more exhibitions in Europe, the US and Mexico.
I intend to expand my creativity by incorporating fabric printing into sculpture.