Ramos-Martinez Homage

I'm feeling a need to revisit my artistic influences. They are countless and each teaches something different. In an effort to return to fundamentals, with the emphasis on fun, I took an empty canvas and re-created a detail from an Alfredo Ramos-Martinez drawing titled Mexican Family, which he originally created in 1932. A pre-colombian influence combined with a hint of art deco results in solid, simple yet iconic depictions of people from his native Mexico. The images above not only represent my attempt to pay homage to a favorite painter, but also perhaps learn something by doing so. What I learned is to continue to simplify my vision. I'll be reminded daily since this 48" X 48" exercise is for personal use only and hangs in my dining room.

Observation

There is much to be found in a short walk through the neighborhood. Or a long walk. Or not walking at all, but instead simply watching light travel through a room and seeing what it catches.

In and Out

Looking in. Looking out. One View.

Divided yet connected. Split. Wide open yet enclosed.

The great American author F. Scott Fitzgerald once said, "The test of a first-rate intelligence is the ability to hold two opposed ideas in the mind at the same time, and still retain the ability to function. One should, for example, be able to see that things are hopeless yet be determined to make them otherwise."

Nice. Easier said than done. I prefer to use charcoal and see two points of view at the same time.