At the same time I was learning mixed media and collage techniques, I enrolled in different art classes at The League of Art (La Liga de Arte) located at the Old San Juan in Puerto Rico. I spent 9 months in the acrylic painting course with artist Betsy Padín, one of the founders of the school.
That experience made a profound impact on my life. For the first time, I learned all about the color wheel in a very creative way. While learning and practicing acrylic painting I realized art was my passion and that collage art was in my soul.
Through her class and the books she shared, I became attracted to the work of Cuban painter Wilfredo Lam. Checking books from painters I found the work of Luis Hernández Cruz. I was encouraged by the teacher to create a painting related to his work.
When I finished the painting, she hugged me and said, "you really understood his work". That warm gesture blows my mind and my "artist's" heart. Below is the painting inspired by his work. It was part of an exercise where natural leaves were attached to a wall and the exercise was to draw the negative space only. I drew a Monstera Deliciosa Leaf. Of course, that was the one I chose, I was in love with that plant and I was already selling that leaf as a ceramic bowl.
Betsy and Luis Hernández Cruz were longtime friends. This experience was in 2010 and just last week I met the artist in a special event honoring Betsy Padín at the art school. It was a special night where one of the gallery spaces was named after Betsy. You can learn more about him here
I also enrolled in a portrait class by artist Maria Ordoñez where I learned that the result (in terms of a finished piece of art) is more important than the process used to get there. It is difficult to explain but that sentence made a lot of sense in my creative process. Drawing a face was something I was afraid of and she made it easy for me. I was really happy to also try a new medium, oil pastels. I wonder why I am not using that medium again because now that I remember I really enjoyed the process with the oil pastels. Maybe I should try again on a new project.
One of the courses that meant a lot to me was a drawing class, this time with the amazing artist Nora Quintero. She inspired me in many ways and still does. The last class was something I will never forget. It had nothing to do with drawing. She began the class saying: "we are going to paint today". Really? She brought a bunch of different things: a variety of dry leaves (with only the veins), plastic doilies, candles, crayons, acrylic painting, and of course brushes (we only had drawing pencils for the class).
We received instructions for the use of the crayons and candles, for painting over the paper with the doilies and the leaves under the paper and the "resist" technique; using the candles to draw and then watery acrylic painting. My soul was smiling. I was lost in the creative process and also the rest of the group was inspired to create.
What happened next was my big surprise, something I will never forget. Still now, while writing about it, I get emotional. She looked at the art from all the students and then she stood beside me. She said something like this to the group, "I want to tell you that I always do this kind of class at the end of the drawing course. I have to say that this is the first time I have witnessed this inspiration and this energy. She put her arm around me and said, "and it was all because of her. She was so inspired and so happy creating with these materials that her energy was spread all over the place".
She added that usually the students don't get interested in the class and they do the least possible. I was mesmerized. I have never expected something like this but she was right, I was having a blast creating with those materials. In a matter of two and a half hours, I created a bunch of papers that later I used in my collage paintings.
Below you can see that the mom and the girls are over a background. That background was one of the papers I created that unforgettable day. I am in debt to her and I know she is not aware of the positive impact her class had on my creative journey.
(Disclaimer: Please read about my affiliate association with Amazon at the end of the post. The image below contains a link to Amazon where it is for sale.)
Stay tuned for more posts on my journey. For more art please visit my Gallery. It is still under construction...getting there.
You can find my art on canvas in many online stores like Houzz, Wayfair, Macy's, Amazon, and a few other stores I really don't even know.
Below are some of them. Amazon has free shipping so I guess it is the best option. If you want to search all possibilities just google Elizabeth Claire Canvas and Voila!!
Below are some of them. Amazon has free shipping so I guess itis the best option. If you want to search all possibilities just google Elizabeth Claire Canvas and Voila!!
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