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 Vallarta Living | Art Talk | March 2007 
New Sculptures at Galleria Dante
 PVNN
| | You are invited to "Meet the Artists" at Galleria Dante this Wednesday, from 6 to 10 pm. For more information, call 222-2477. To see some of the art work on display at Galeria Dante, visit GalleriaDante.com. |
Galleria Dante owners Joe and Claire Guarniere invite you to "Meet the Artists" on Wednesday, March 7th from 6 to 10 pm. This week they will be showing new sculptures from Jonas Gutierrez, smaller versions of the Malecón statue, and Oscar Zamarripa's "Watermelons of Many Colors."
The show will also feature new paintings by Juana Cortez & Oscar Solis from Guadalajara, who will be in attendance at the opening. It is always a treat for people to meet and talk to this delightful husband and wife team - they are individual in their styles, but their love and support of each other is endearing.
Luis Valui delivered 30 new paintings this weekend, and took the time to take his family to the beach. To those of you not familiar with works by Valui, color and movement fill his paintings, both watercolor and oil. There are musicians, dancers, couples on bicycles, street and beach scenes. Valui is a gallery favorite, although he will not be in attendance this week.
New works by Luis Valui, Linda Israel, Rogelio Diaz, Yvan Genest, Pipo Brockman, James Knowles, Jean-Gabriel Lambert and Brad Smith will be also on display at the gallery this week.
For any of you who were fortunate enough to watch Brad Smith paint last week, or commissioned him to do your portrait, you will be able to create a buzz around his works. Many thanks to the lovely models, Elsa Fridriksson and Citlali Brockman, who posed for him.
More than 15 artists are expected to attend the March 7th opening, including Peter Spataro, who is back from teaching a workshop in Naples, Florida.
Juana Cortez - Has only been painting a few years, but already you can see she has great talent. Having worked aside her husband, Oscar Solis, who has painted more than 3 decades, her talent was nurtured by a great teacher. She started by painting portraits of photos she saw in books, but now works hard to take her own photographs and paint from those photos. She is passionate about her Mexican culture, so most of her works are of Mexican women capturing their strength and beauty.
Oscar Solis - A master painter. People are amazed at the talent this couple share and their quiet elegance. Oscar taught art from an early age, painted murals for years, then Mexican portraits for more than 25 years, photo-realism of African tribes, abstracts and now he is also showing his talent as a sculptor. He almost gave up painting some years ago, but that would have been a shame, as he is truly talented.
Pipo Brockman - Pipo will be one of our featured artists this week. His works have a simple beauty that seem to draw the viewer in. He has done very well since joining us this season. Pipo's works in a loose style that is very refreshing: both his portraits of humans, as well as his portraits of Mexican hairless dogs. He is relaxed, his smile warm, his family and his dogs are his models and his support team. Every one who meets Pipo immediately are drawn into his smile.
Luis Espiridion - Thin, whimsical figures are his unique signature. We just received some new angels, mermaids and animals. Often the sculptures contain grafitti, a way of marking the pieces as his, as an animal would mark his territory. Luis placed a monumental "Vaca Loca" at the new Penisula mall in November to celebrate the opening of Tierry Blouet's new steak house. We have small copies of the Vaca Loca available. Luis is charming, often seen about town with his Mexican hairless dog, Chona.
Rogelio Diaz - His paintings are taking another twist as his mind is active and his hands busy. He has a unique style, that is constantly evolving, many think he has been influenced by Picasso and Basquiat. Rogelio believes that we all have something of a child within us. The older we grow, the closer we come to returning to the innocence of childhood. You either like or dislike his paintings, he leaves little room for middle ground. But collectors who would have never considered his works in years past have now become fond admirers of his work.
Peter Spataro - New to the gallery this year. He often asked: "Why do the locals not paint this beautiful city?" So that is just what he did. This week we received light filled beach and river scenes, mostly of the Conchas Chinas and Rio cuale areas. Peter taught a workshop in January in Vallarta and another in Naples, Florida in February. He will be off to teach on a Mediterranean cruise in June.
Yvan Genest - Back from a 2 week sabbatical with new paintings. When Yvan produced his catalogue this year, with a retrospective view of his works, everyone asked why he was no longer painting abstracts. He had moved on, but at the insistance of is collectors and his love of abstract, he started painting again. The result is a winner, which are flying off the walls. Yvan's new "Magico Manos" series is also very exciting. After years showing in Paris, he now divides his time between Montreal, Vallarta and Yelapa.
Richard Baker - Best known for his water colors, he is also gaining any collectors of his oils, which he started painting at age 80. Richard was recently asked to paint a Vallarta theme, he was inspired by the Viva girls, so immortalized them on his canvas. In the watercolors, his use of the white paper amazes professionals. His oils have a softness in the brush stroke and use of color, that have a watercolor quality. There is no subject matter he does not paint.
Bill Megrail - Very talented as an artist, art critic & restorer of fine arts. His landscapes are an extension of where he lives, as Bill paints plein air. We currently exhibit banana plantations, cactus fields, floral gardens with a view of the ocean and garden scenes of San Miguel. His commitment to detail shows in his finished works which if you stare at them become three dimensional and feel you can walk into them. He has spent the last 6 months painting as well as building a new studio, so is anxious to dedicate 100% to his art again.
Dana O'Donnell - We welcome her husband to Vallarta this year - a delightful couple. She works in stone, marble and alabaster, her works have an inner light. Her newest sculpture, "Indigena" carved in Mexican alabaster represents a mix of the different cultures. She also experiments with metals, both bronze & iron. Dana has worked in studios in Mexico, Colorado, Pietrasanta and Volterra. She has an enthusiasm for sculpture that attracted us to her work, as we are passionate about sculpture.
Jean-Gabriel Lambert - Vibrant color best describes the paintings by this sensitive French artist. His paintings, a mesh of strong brush strokes and vibrant colors are forceful. You feel his passion and love of life in his use of colors. This year he is working primarily in acrylics, whereas for years all his paintings were oils. This energetic, young man warms the heart of all who meet him.
James Knowles - Hails from Kent, England, but has been living in Mexico more than 20 years. As every prolific artist, he is always experimenting. Currently exhibiting an on the edge line of sensual paintings, in addition to his floral paintings. Since the birth of his son 2 years ago, he has been more experimental with new ideas and subject matter, everything from beach scenes to markets. James has had a great season with Dante, which is very rewarding for him, as he is always constant.
Bill White - If you have seen Bill's portraits, you know how talented he is. After painting the famous Xuitla dancers, he decided he needed to paint other subjects. He is passionate about Mexico, so he decided to paint portraits of charras & charros. Recently seeing the Xuitla dancers perform again, he was inspired to paint another series of these beautiful young women.
Javier Lampreabe - Hails from Argentina. Javier used to paint large murals and worked in theatre. Most of his paintings have a dream-like quality. There are many hidden messages in his works, including spiritual elements. The paintings have a peacefulness, as does the artist. Today you will find him and Carolina building their house from scratch, which will include a new studio for Javier.
John Anderson - Copper fountains, pelicans, herons and wildlife are John's forte. The sound of water falling has been a big draw to get people into the sculpture garden area of the gallery. The light dances off the copper and as the light hits them, it shines. John is always open to commission work - his rain tree in the newly finished pool is very popular and John can make them in many sizes - the largest he's made to date is 10 feet across and 7 feet high. He will soon deliver a large rain tree to the gallery.
David Leonard - Mosaic glass best describes his work: tables, beds, chairs, room dividers, serving bowls, flower vases, mirrors, even kitchen counters. If you have frequented the restaurant, Vite-A, you will have seen his tables and chairs. David just returned from several shows this summer in the US, including one at Lincoln Center in New York.
Edgar Martinez - Young and very talented are two words to describe Edgar. No one re-invents himself each year more than he. His latest creations of marble powder mixed with oil, painstakingly layered to create textures that leave the viewer wanting to see more. Edgar also draws from his Mexican culture to create the subjects in his paintings - often using Oaxacan women, in honor of his mother.
Cherie Sibley - When she is not selling real-estate and giving painting classes, she is traveling the world to photograph material for her own paintings. This year she traveled to Ecuador and Morocco, a series of portraits resulted from her travels. Cherie also made her mark on the local art scene by painting famous people's cats - everything from Andrew Lloyd Weber, Marilyn Munroe to Jack the Ripper's cat.
Lee Chapman - Aside from his fun Lencho style, he also paints more seriously under his given name, but still with a tongue in cheek humor. Lee has a great following of clients for his paintings, as well as his children's books. Come view his new Tango dancer and his Bather series. Often said to be Botero in style, they are not, but for many viewers portly figures are synonymous with Botero.
In other news, the gallery’s staff has a new member, sculptor Luis Espiridion, who’s joining in for the remainder of the season, as Jorge Joya is leaving the gallery after 4 years to embark on a new adventure. We all wish Jorge the best of luck and good fortune.
Don't miss your chance to "Meet the Artists" at Galleria Dante every other Wednesday from 6 to 10 pm. Upcoming shows are scheduled for the following dates: March 21st and April 4th.
Open Mon-Fri from 10 am-5 pm, Galeria Dante is located at Basilio Badillo 269 in Puerto Vallarta's Romantic Zone. For more information, call 222-2477, or send an email to info@galleriadante.com. To see some of the art work on display at Galeria Dante, visit GalleriaDante.com. |
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