My Release

In the fall of 2001 I took my first step towards abstraction. At that point I rejected any idea that art could be non objective, conceptual, or free from any reference to the physical world. I decided one night to pick up my brushes and tackle a canvas to see what would come of it. I thought that by smearing paint on the surface I would have a finished product, an abstract painting. I was wrong. After putting my work up for a critique I found out that it wasn't as easy as it appeared to be. I was determined to get it right and started to rework the painting. I was hooked! I was pleased with the final piece, and decided to start a second one. Soon, I had gone from representation to abstraction.

It wasn't until 2003 when I finally found a style that worked for me. The last series of abstractions became large and very free. This new method of working was the release I had been waiting for all my life. It helped me to become loose, and to work the picture as a whole. These last paintings were inspired by the legacy of the abstract expressionists, mainly Rothko and Color Field painter Frankenthaler.

St. John the Baptist, 2003, oil on canvas, 72 x 62 inches

Still Life, 2003, oil on canvas, 40 x 40 inches

(private collection)

Canto Gitano, 2004, oil on canvas, 24 x 58 inches

(private collection)

Lessons with Matisse, 2004, oil on canvas, 60 x 54 inches

Concierto de Violines, 2004, oil on canvas, 60 x 52 inches