Francisco Alvarado Offers a Wide Range of Work in New Exhibition

Posted on by Diversions LA

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Francisco Alvarado lives, breathes, and is art. He calls himself an “outsider artist,” creating his work on paper, canvas, or digitally on an iPad. “Sometimes I  will make an art piece by physically working on wood, metal and or cardboard or some found material,” he says.

But Alvarado is in many ways more of an “inside” artist – he grabs at the soul within every living being, alive in the landscapes he sees, the abstracts he shapes.

He is improvistational in spirit, joyous in palette, his works radiant with light – both in terms of technique and intent.

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Born in Ecuador, Alvarado says his work reflects “life experiences through…colorful abstractions.” Inspired by nature, travel, and flora and fauna, he uses vibrant colors and patterns, noting that in his work he often creates “happy pieces,” images that are also powerful and daring. And prolific.

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“I work out of my home, so I don’t have much storage space and I am happy when the work goes out to shows or collectors,” he says modesly, adding that “I create work for me. I like the observation of people, places and  everyday things and activities and the decisions-explorations that are made along the way; like taking a trip down a fork in the road… except that this type of exploration does not lock me in. I can always come back, allowing my curiosity to roam free.”

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Alvarado sees art everywhere and creates works from images that inspire him to inspire his viewers.

“The possibilities are endless; the hard part is not having enough time to explore it all,” he explains. “My inspiration comes from my trips and the people and places visited.” A recent trip to France gave him new inspiration “In France, the nights make all the buildings stand out as the sun sets, much like California, but with a vibrant quality that is the people in the streets.”

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He feels his work has a evolved in recent years, in part through his practice of painting based on his daily experiences. “I don’t have a traditional arc that I can trace regarding my work,” he notes. “About three years ago I made a decision to limit the colors I use to three basic colors – like downsizing the palette.  I have been following this approach during my trips and daily walks, and taking pictures along the way to reference the moment. It has not been easy but the daily habit is helping me to stay focused.”

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The voluminous and magical body of his work has shown up at a variety of locations recently. “Last year I  had a lot of fun working with Robert Soffian at a residency with Shoebox Projects, and at the same time finishing a project for Artists and Reseachers 2 at Keck USC . The project teamed 13 USC Medical Researchers with 13 local artists. My role was to create a painting that reflected the work done by one team of researchers addressing youth suicide prevention.” According to Alvarado, “Both experiences reminded me how much I  love working with others and community participation. I plan to do more of these later this year.”

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His amazing color palette and vibrance he attributes to “observing with an inquisitive eye during my travels  and daily walks. The pictures I  take help me to select the colors to use.”

His diverse range of mediums leads to the question as to which he prefers, which he says varies.

“I work a lot of my sketches and color selection with the iPad, and that saves me a lot of time. I work daily, often at night, and will create two or more pieces. Often these pieces are finished and can go directly to print for a show or collector. In other cases, I would take one of these digital pieces and paint it on paper or canvas.” Alvarado stresses that “I like the scale of large canvas paintings, but I have to be mindful of my  transportation and storage space.”

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While he creates astounding figurative work, it is the abstract that draws him the most. “I  like abstract work the most, in my mind taking a walk in a fantasy, a colorful nature walk.” He believes his childhood in Ecuador and travels with his family into the tropical forests and Amazon jungle created a lasting impression that figures into his work to this day, of “the people, the colorful landscapes, birds, and insects.”

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Above, Alvarado recalls red ants at a picnic

Alvarado recently wrapped a solo show at the Monica Film Center in Santa Monica in May; in late June, a second solo show, curated by Skye Amber Sweet, concluded its run at the Vista Library. New projects range ahead.

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Alvarado at Vista exhibition, photo and curation, Skye Amber Sweet

  • Genie Davis; photos: Francisco Alvarado

 

 

 

Magic Muralist: Artist Skye Amber Sweet

Posted on by Diversions LA

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It would be a mistake to think of artist Skye Amber Sweet as only a muralist. A prolific artist of canvas art, Sweet has said “I find that paint and stretched canvas are made for better company.  Paint runs through my veins, across my heart and trails to my fingertips transcribing emotion from brush to canvas.” 

Although what she’s said above is poetic, and she also writes poetry, it would also be a mistake to view Sweet as anything other than what she is: an artist the way that we are all human – she breathes art and gifts it to those around her in a myriad of ways. And recently, one of those ways has been in the form of sweeping murals.

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Sweet has painted 13 murals, including one that will be dedicated this Thursday at 2 p.m. in Holly Park, located in Hawthorne, Calif. The mural was donated, and is the first gift of its kind to the city. 

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As the artist explains “I have been a full time canvas artist  since October 2012 when my company laid me off, and shut down the doors of the business I was doing in the design and building industry.  I started painting again to transcribe emotion into art and started selling my paintings within hours to days that I had completed them.  This allowed me to continue as a full time artist,” Sweet relates.  “I was contacted by my friend Lauren Jones who owns a PR company in Hollywood.  She had a client, Architectural Mailboxes who had four ElephanTrunks to sponsor to me as an artist.  I was given the four parcel boxes to paint on, re-home, and share photos.  This was really exciting to me because I was able to paint mini-murals on three-dimensional pieces.  I loved how they turned out and thought that it was so awesome to be able to share my art publicly on a parcel box around the area in a residential setting. That is when the light bulb clicked in my head that maybe I could actually share art on a larger scale to help beautify the area I lived in and share my love for art with a message of ‘Peace, Love, Hope – Now!'”
To that end, Sweet, who has two children, wanted to give back to the community she lived in. She donates some murals and is paid for others, in an effort, she says, to stay “humble and grounded.”

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Creating large scale murals comes with its own set of challenges.  She describes her process. “Some murals I love to freehand and not think of a plan, just like my canvas art.  I like to be free at painting so there is no over thinking and the flow of art in emotion can shine through.” Working on a canvas, Sweet says she can directly transcribe her feelings and use water and heat as well as paint to creatively manipulate the canvas and textures. “With murals there is planning, and I’m using spray paint which may drip or spray wrong, or I run out – it’s more challenging.” Frequently working with cities and schools, Sweet has also found that she’s had to forego her freehand style on mural projects.

“Lately, my murals have had to be approved, and I start by drawing a mock version of the mural after meeting with the client and discussing what their wants and needs are.”

Once a project is approved, a date is set and Sweet begins her work.

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“I always start using brown paint.  It is neutral for my brain and it helps me outline the entire mural before color and details go in.  Once I do that, I start on the background in most cases. Then I paint away and I paint fast.  I try to keep my momentum and energy up to finish as much at one time as possible. Being new to the process I initially started using spray paint without the technical brush tips and less expensive paint.  Many times I will also use a brush and fill in more detail.”

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The artist has relied on a donation and discounts from Home Depot to pursue this work. “I would like to try new types of murals with more expensive paint and tips. I used to air brush and think that in the future I will be able to paint more technically challenging murals with practice,” she asserts.  

She donates the murals and raises money to create them when a project is for a school or a church. “I feel it is important to give to people and the community not for exposure, not for anything except I firmly believe our world needs kindness and more love.  I see so many artists that become successful and forget why they started painting in the first place. I want to always remember where I came from, why I painted and how much hard work it took to be able to become full time.”

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Creating murals is a lot of hard work. “It takes a week of recovery physically so I remember to keep feeling and striving and never forget to share.” But for Sweet, the challenge is worth it. “I like to give murals in places as well that do not have art.  I love working with schools because I love seeing beauty in the eyes of children.  I also do it for my family to remember the world is more than all about us or me.  We must love each other and promote beauty strength in community and growth. That is why I paint trees,” Sweet laughs.

The Holly Park mural took place after Sweet was approached by Hawthorne art commissioner Gloria Plascencia after Plascencia viewed Sweet’s work.

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“I automatically said of course and couldn’t wait to start raising money for the project!   When drawing the mock up I wanted to incorporate my tree which is the tree of strength and growth, along with a heart for the love of the community.  I figured the rolling hills vibrant in color would signify the adventure with the City Council of Gloria bringing art to the community in public spaces,” Sweet says of her work. “It also signifies that in every community there are ups and downs, and being able to work with each other through the process only brings more beauty to the world.  The flowers and hearts signify beauty and love.”

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While working with themes that Sweet has previously explored in her murals, she also wanted to make the mural all about the community than simply her own work.  “I wanted to involve the community, so I planned for community members to put their hands in paint and stamp my mural. That way they know I did this for them and it is theirs – for their children, for the parents and for the community in which they live in.  It was ours to share.”

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It took a year to get approval for this project, but it was finished in two days, March 25 through 26th.

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Above all else, Sweet wants her viewers to feel something from her art. “I want to promote happiness in all things…humans need art and beauty in their lives and by passing a mural, their day may change just by seeing a colorful tree or a silly heart that makes them think of something they love or someone they miss.”

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From murals to canvas, Sweet says her art is primarily emotional. “Sometimes I  am not quite sure where my unintended thought process took me. I do know that in my lightest and darkest moments something in my heart triggered the expressive flow of paint and tears, happiness, and smiles that somehow came together without thought.”

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Sweet is as much activist as artist. “I want to change the world.  I have since I was eight. I want people to see the very inner core of their being and maybe learn of open hearts, forgiveness and kindness through color and art.  I am not sure how to do so, but in my art I know that the thought is there and I hope that in looking close enough, you might feel enough of the world to stand at the doors of the bright colors, understand its flow and make a difference in the real world.”

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In recent weeks, along with the Holly Park project, Sweet has created a mural for St. Theresa’s of Avila in Silver Lake. and one for Clifford Street Elementary.

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Whether on a vast wall or on a small canvas, Sweet’s distinctive, swirling, dream-like style is captivating. Like the trees she’s painted, there is growth and scope in her works, and like the hearts she also favors, there is a pervasive sense of love and happiness in her subjects and her patterns.

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Above, artist Sweet; below, commissioner Plascencia.

DSC_2671iLook for Sweet’s work on buildings and in exhibitions all over town – and join the artist on the 20th as her Holly Park mural is dedicated and the city holds a ribbon cutting for the impressive work.

  • Genie Davis; photos: Gloria Plascencia and courtesy of the artist