A human cathedral

As an artist my work is tinted by my experience of living in different countries, being exposed to various cultures and ethics. As a sailor, I visited, with my family , some God forsaken places. Haiti is one of them. An accidental stop in Haiti has opened our eyes to the daily reality of some of our fellow human beings, our Haitian bothers and sisters. There, in the south part of the island, misery and fear float in the air that carries much more mosquitos than there are fish in the water.

In Haiti, I understood that the treasure keeping even the poorest alive is dignity. I saw there people who stay straight having only they’re dignity to support them. On my third day, I saw a human being turning into a cathedral before my eyes.

My work is dedicated to all those noble souls in the world, unknown heroes that stay in their power, even when life is trying to break them down. The “heroines” I portrays are symbolic of my emotions when I witnesses beauty.

What we need to beleive to have success?

Having success starts by becoming aware of what has stopped us so far and introspecting deep and long enough to notice all the beliefs that have caused the setbacks.

This is not only the process of clarifying to our own eyes the modus operandi we live with but at the same time it is taking responsibility for it.

The introspective process stars just as the painful emotions arise, like fear, frustration, apathy, self-criticism. It takes courage and curiosity to figure clearly what we are secretly suffering from. With practice, it becomes easy to hear our victimized inner self speaking: "I never get what I want, I can't, I am alone, I don't deserve, I need to be punished, I can't keep what I have, etc..." Sound familiar?

These personal beliefs that I call our "true religion" are hidden under a brilliant layer of lesser complains. I say "brilliant" because we can buy into them and get stuck, never understanding that there is deeper anathemas to be uncovered to gain liberation from our inner tyrant. This "blanket" layer of belief sounds like this: "Money is hard to make, I must work harder to succeed, Rome did not get built in one day, I need an other diploma, I can't have it all, my karma must be bad., etc...". or anything that sounds like a stop but is not so emotionally charged as our " deep dirty secrets" .

Of course this is all good for those who share my concept of success : being able to create a shift when needed and experiencing life was something that is constantly evolving. In this context what we need to believe in to have success is that it is safe to be who we are, so we do not need to be afraid of self- discovery.

Pharaohs'bling- bling

Jewelry did not always used to be just ornamental. Starting with ancient cultures and now-extinct civilizations, wearing gems, crystals, metals, bones or seeds had little to do with looking good; it was a mean of protection and empowerment. Pharaohs , kings and emprors were advised by their astrologers to collect and surround themselves with the best specimens in order to deflect bad luck, undo curses, and attract health and good luck needed to assure a long and prosperous reign. Warriors wore metal armors with power emblems and protective symbols, and even common folk would wear as much stones and metals as they could afford. Shamans knew what seeds, twigs, feathers, bones or pigments could be used for.

Malachite in Egypt was also grinded down to powder and used as an antiseptic against eye infections due to sand storms. They would put some around their eyes, and make up was incidentally created this way!

Now, jewelry has become an accessory for vanity, to add attractiveness and beauty or to make a cultural statement. I will not say that beauty is not contributing to one's life and health, but I am interested in reviving the notion that gems are alive, vibrant and capable of altering our energy field.

There are many ways in which our jewelry can help us. Wearing a short necklace will influence the whole body and specifically the throat chakra—helping to communicate from our heart. A medium length necklace will help the heart to clear up old wounds, and warm it up to feel joy. A longer lariat shields wonderfully the solar plexus, so sensitive to women (which is why we naturally cross our arms, or carry handbags as protection). Also, while fashion has not brought back the crown or tiara as a popular decorative item---and I hope it will (please Mr. Galiano would you consider it ??)--our relationship to the divine could certainly be facilitated by some amethyst sitting on our head.

The next time you are considering a piece of jewelry that is made of natural materials, go beyond what meets your eye and build a relationship with the gem or the seed or the metal it is composed of. Allow yourself to think of it as an invisible, very powerful shield, and allow its vibration to support you in your daily life.

What is Art?

Art is the way we fulfill our mission to develop and express our uniqueness. The daring choice to be an artist or just to practice anything as an art form allows, welcomes, and develops the expression of the uniqueness of the individual.

Conformity leads to degeneration. Comparing ourselves to others, blending in, and imitating leads nowhere. It can only feed the illusion of being accepted and recognized. We conform for fear of rejection, fear of making mistakes. We hide behind what seams to be already approved of and expected. On this path, growth is not possible, only survival.

Art invites growth and becomes an element of society through which the ongoing discovery of life can occur. Allowing oneself to expand through art is allows humanity to expand and develop. How else than through the individual can the whole be altered? When one wants peace, one has to embody peace first. When one wants society to grow in beauty, one has to develop the self through art and faith and share that self with the world.

Art is because it is shared - whether accepted or not, liked or not, whether seductive or repulsive. I personally find Bacon’s work very disturbing, but his unique expression of energy comes through clearly.

I paint the highest expression of life that I can perceive. I translate it into images. Sometimes, I am not able to paint because I don’t have the words and colors for it. Time is needed for integrating into the physical level any perception. It has to sink in and before it can be translated into an artistic language. I don’t always consciously plan what I am illustrating, but a painting gets started when my sprit knows. I paint as I pray and heal. I turn down the volume of my ego and disconnect from my concerns and my ideas. I let the painting happen. I free up the way so that the connection between Spirit and the canvas can be manifested in a beautiful and fulfilling dance.

The current or flow of art history has not stopped. You just won’t ever see it displayed.

Art current, art movement…isn’t the course of art history suppose to flow?
Why are the galleries and museums stopping its public course by presenting the same old works?

How many David Hockneys or Chagalls must there be displayed every year in the US? David, Marc, I love you, but we are all thirsty for the new. Did the current stop in 1970?
What has been shown to the public through galleries and museums throughout the US, labeled contemporary or modern art, is usually abstract, abstract expressionist, expressionist, impressionist, conceptual, minimalist, pop, surrealist, cubist, taggist, etc. It is only called contemporary because the artist is still alive. But a lot of those artists and masters who originated these currents are dead or getting quite old.
As an art student I had the misconceived idea that a gallery’s and museum’s job was to be aware before anyone else of the fruit of the artistic research going on and to present it to a public ready to be seduced, challenged, and shocked. There was excitement on all sides – the artists who had the hope of creating that connection with art dealers and trusted their power to put their work under the spotlight of public appreciation; and the art dealers who, just like the public itself probably loved the power they had to give a thumbs up or thumbs down, and like Julius Cesar at the arena, to destroy or give life.

Where is the current contemporary art? What is new under the Tuscan sun? Nothing at all since Leo Castelli exhibited the NY street tags on the wall of his gallery...well, let’s see…twenty or more years ago!
Why have galleries and museums lost their purpose?
The art of dealing art has died; it has just become another commercial field. Secure profit is what galleries are into now. Why have museums surrendered to safe choices too? What is their excuse?
Art galleries and museums have lost their purpose: to educate.
So I am wondering how new art movements are supposed to emerge if there is such a strong wall being put up against new currents by galleries and museums?

There are no more art dealers, just ex-car dealers converting or upgrading themselves to the fine art field.