Sotomayor, Awards and more

Some news....

A month ago, Sergio and I were honored to be the recipients of "Best Artists in the Washington DC metro area" in the category of visual arts! Thank you Washington DC! More thrilling: the third visual artist to receive the reward is our dear friend Gloria Valdes Tarasca; she is our Godmother of sorts, as she is responsible for our meeting in Queretaro, Mexico- ten years ago!

I was commissioned to paint a watercolor for Supreme Court Justice Sonia Sotomayor and I was thrilled to receive this note:

"Supreme Court Justice Sonia Sotomayor received your wonderful painting. 

She was very appreciative and grateful and said it will go in her office.

I too thank you for providing your wonderful art congratulating the Justice on her distinction to serve 

on our nation's highest court."

                                                      ~ Franklin Garcia -US Representative (shadow) Elect, DC.

As you all know, we are now printing some of our work on canvases here in the studio. All our reproductions are made to order by us *in house* to ensure archival quality and color matching like none other than the artist can attain! Please contact us if you are interested in any of our work!

This coming weekend, we will be hosting our 9th Annual Open Studio!

YOU are invited and we will be making a video as usual for those who are far away...

Watch this video for a little peek of our 2015 Open Studio.

Abstract Painting Process in Pictures

I have been working on abstracts for the past 6 months and the process is fascinating and challenging at the same time.

Each piece goes through so many transformations that almost always I find myself working over a piece and transforming it into something entirely different that what I envisioned. 

Often one tiny mistake leads me to start the whole thing over again, one over the other over the other.

I have sometimes realized that I bury a good painting with a bad one then another *almost there* replaced by another and then another.

Documenting the steps makes me feel a bit better about it, so here it is....

I kind of miss the pieces that are created only to be buried under more paint.... 

so here it is, one of several pieces I have documented these past few weeks. 

This first photo is how it looked after one long day of working on it. I love pink and black together; I also love sap/olive green and pink- but Sergio hated the combination as much as he disliked the white splatters I made over the center, so... since I disagreed with him on both of those points, yet also was unhappy with the piece, I let it rest for the evening.

The next day, I added white all around to soften and break the space a bit.
Then more white:

At which point I encapsulated everything in one area inside the white splatters...
I liked the effects of the soft white and back and forth play of the original colors peeking through, but I was unhappy with the shape/composition
so I covered it in a glaze of burnt sienna

I liked it more now, but also wanted to add some white for balance towards the bottom.....

At this point I liked it. And it is here where it gets complicated when you second guess yourself AND you are married to a fellow painter whose critiques you respect but ..... 
so this, I liked. 
A lot.

But then I did this:

and I like that too... though at the time, I didn't realize it, so I went on...

And then the palette knife into some squarish forms...

At this point, the squares began to remind me of my "Cities at Night" Series, 

so I began to create the 

watery reflections below

And the one that follows became another piece that I liked.

I should have shown it to our son because he loved it when he saw this photo below,

but alas... I was still unsure and Sergios critiques were still the same

So I got rid of the watery effects

And regretted it right away

alas, there was nothing to do but continue

So I turned the canvas on the side and add a glop of white oil paint to it and picked up 

the palette knife again

I then decided to add more black to the central image

at which point everything changed for me
I became quite involved in the process and did not document further....

A few hours later, I had finished.

Admittedly, this is something I am very, very happy with.
The process was long, and full of surprises, a few challenges and lots of fun, a labor of love.
 I think it is a lot like life, we live, love, make mistakes, grow, stretch this way then the other, try this then that, we learn from others as well as from own revelations and ultimately, 

the process is indeed, half the fun!

The image below is not very good 

(lots of reflection as you can see)

 I will replace it with the scanned image once the piece dries.

Not only do I love my finish piece.... Sergio took one look at it and his eyes opened wide as he said:
"it's so damned good, I wish I had painted it myself"

Here is a close up of the piece:

Let me know what you think and if you would like for me to share my process with you more often!

Love & Light,

Claudia

A circle of Love, Seymour Gresser

Alav Ha-sholom, may you rest in peace, dearest Sy.
Great man, poet and sculptor...
Seymour Gresser “Sy” May 9, 1926 -- November 1, 2014

We love you and you will remain in our hearts and lives forever.
Thank you for your love and wisdom:...

"... that's why we do our art! To express our divinity" ~Sy Gresser

Sy came into my life only 9 months ago, but in our hearts we knew immediately we had a soul connection and had known each other already... we knew it was all "magic and serendipity" as he said... I say: *mirmagical* a blessing... 

An other worldly connection-- a connection with one another, with art, my papa.
Sy and I emailed for a few months before meeting in person, and it was not until then that we both  realized he had been my papa's friend.
Not only that, but it was my papa who mentored Sy years ago in regards to his art and fellowship from the OAS to create his art in Mexico. Everyone who has known Sy is keenly aware of the fact that the trip to Mexico had an enormous impact in Sy's life, indeed-- it is what took him into the depth of his lifelong career as a sculptor. The OAS fellowship is mentioned in everyone of his artist statements... and it was a trip that came about for him when he was going through a particularly difficult time in his life... so the circle comes around- and so we met when I was going through a particularly difficult time in my life.... a circle of Love. 

Sy and I emailed daily. We tried to visit him every Sunday, and I planned to do that for many years.... it was a sweet time of talking about Mexico and China and our art and culture; he told me stories about my papa that brought so much comfort.... he was/is family. An extension of my dear papa here on earth... a gift.

Sy was my parent, my mentor my friend for these nine months which have been so tough... he came into my life exactly one week after I came out of the denial of the abuse.
He has been my anchor, my comfort, my hope.
I will never be the same-he will always be with me.
My heart is full of sadness and gratitude too....

Nine months... I can find great symbolism in the time frame... nine months of gestation-- and here I am, MUCH better than I was back in February when I met him and I was experiencing such a painful time in my life,  here I am, nine months later-having been soothed and loved and nurtured by Sy.... by proxy,  Sy and my papa Luis. 

I love Sy

My heart is full of gratitude to my papa and to God/Spirit for bringing us together, even if for a short period of time....

 Sy and I connected through my papa, trough something so intangible that only he and I understand.... we have shared daily for the past 9 months.... it has been love and sweetness and a connection that surpasses time and I know our souls will meet again...
But there is sadness too, when we loose someone.....
and my heart goes out to his wife and children....

 A few days before he passed away, my sweet soulsister, Ana Medina offered to play her healing bowls for him and he was delighted and comforted by the healing sounds of the bowls.
(Ana took these photos and sent me the message below).

It was such a blessing to see him and his wife receive and bathe in the holy sounds...
My heart is filled with love and sadness and gratitude.

There was an informal gathering in his studio one week after he passed, and his wife lovingly refered to me as "Sy's adopted daughter" ... and indeed, this is how I feel. A deep paternal link to this beautiful human. One of Sy's family members said a truth that is a good lesson for us all:

"Sy made everyone feel loved, because there was no judgement"
I love that... it is something that I aspire to on a daily basis:

 it is unconditional love.

 I will miss him terribly and my heart hurts to think of him not being *here* any longer...
but as I told him: because of my abuelita and my papa, I know dear Sy too, will always be near.

 Seymour Gresser “Sy” was born 9 May 1926, in Baltimore, Md., the son of Simon Solomon and Sara (Williams) Gresser. Educated at the Institute of Contemporary Arts, Washington, D.C. (1949-1950), George Washington University (1950-1953), and University of Maryland (B.S., 1949, M.A., 1972). Gresser served in the U.S. Merchant Marines as a radio operator (1944-1946). He has received an Organization of American States fellowship for 1960-1961. Gresser has been a sculptor and writer and employed in various positions, including doing research on American Indians, technical writing and editing, and teaching art. He has been an Instructor in sculpture, Sculptor's Studio (evenings, 1958-63), and Paint Branch Unitarian Church, sculptor-in-residence at Yale University (1969). His work has been exhibited in one-man shows and group exhibitions in U.S., Europe, and Mexico since 1951, including Smithsonian Exhibition, 1952; Washington Irving Gallery, New York, N.Y., 1956, San Angel Exhibition, Mexico, 1960, Capricorn Gallery, New York, N.Y., 1967, Harvard University, 1971, Fordham University, Berkeley Center at Yale University, and Athena Gallery, New Haven, CT.

 Ana wrote:
This is a long story. It was not my story until today. My soul sister Claudia Olivos has a very special friend, Sy, a fabulous sculptor who is soon closing a chapter in his soul's path on this earth. She has a deep connection to Sy, and I have a deep connection with her, so I by extension have a connection with Sy. My spirit called me to offer a sound healing to Sy, and he was not only receptive but excited. His wife said he had been talking about it for days. This morning as I was thinking how best to honor Sy's beautiful path on this planet, I was guided to wear white and purple. I was not surprised Claudia was also wearing purple today. On my way out the door, I knew I had to bring him rose quartz. Not just any piece of rose quartz, the rounded polished one I use for healing. Sy held it, admired it and enjoyed it's energy. I am honored, humbled and in awe of the beauty we can share at the end of someone's life. Sy touched my heart today, and his beautiful spirit will live way longer than his frail body. What a great reminder today that life is truly eternal, and the bodies are a temporary vehicle. Let's wake up....wake up the rest of our senses so we can be with all the love that is and drop the fear of the costume change we call death. Love is WAY larger than we can ever imagine.....

Sy's sculpture in front of our Washington DC area studio.

We made a trade of our art for his... and he told us to choose two pieces...
 this is one of the ones we chose, and we did so without knowing what it was....
Serendipity again, as Sy later told me it was a Mandala!

The word Mandala  means "circle". 

 A Mandala represents wholeness, a cosmic diagram reminding us of our relation to infinity, extending beyond and within our bodies and minds.

The mandala appears to us in all aspects of life, the Earth, the Sun, the Moon and more obviously the circles of life encompassing friends, family and communities.  

Mandalas are circular designs symbolizing the notion that life is never ending.

LOVE. PEACE. JOY to you and yours

My lost paintings have been found!

This is a rambling post because I am *so* excited!

The paintings (all oil on canvas) that were stolen from me by the Mexican government and 5 years later auctioned off.....................have been found!! 

was contacted by the collector a few years ago, he was at first concerned because he knew they had been stolen, I am grateful he had the moral compass to contact me. We chatted via FaceBook and he assured me he would have the paintings exhibited throughout Mexico.

Sadly, he passed away soon after contacting me... may you rest in peace Omar....Thank you!

All I knew of him was his kindness and that he was a young man. It was very sad. I waited before posting on his *In Memoriam FB wall*....
I didn't want to be disrespectful to all those grieving. I posted again a year later, and so it has gone until TODAY, when I finally received a response from his sister about these pieces that I LOVE so much; she now owns the paintings.

These two were part of the seven and are part of a series I painted entitled "The Soul Keeper."

The one above measures about 20" x 20"
and the one below measures about 3 x 4 feet. Each painting has poetry by one of my two favorite poets (Khalil Gibran and Pablo Neruda) that goes with it.

The US Embassy, the Mexican Embassy..not even the State Department could help me.... I prayed so much for them to come back to me, I imagined them in the same HUGE wooden box I built for them to be shipped there, just leaning outside our little home-I imagined it all with great Faith and prayer and *Quantum physics* imaginings too!

But they never arrived at my doorstep.

The box I shipped them in was so big, I had to enlist the help of 2 friends to carry it on top of a van, I remember driving through snowy streets to ship them down to Mexico...
The last time I saw them....

 *wow* It is very, very AWEsome to know where they are. 

I am not like this with all my work....I have collectors all over the world, many whom I have never met... but this group... (not the first to be stolen either, I had 3 paintings stolen from GALA theater in Washington DC many years ago-I have no documentation of those as I made them especially for the exhibit)- these were my favorite pieces at the time; sent down there for my first Museum show, in my *adopted country* -where my father lived for 8 years as a UN diplomat, where I spent many, many happy vacations....  where now I have not only the connection with my art there, but my Mexican partner in love & life -whom I met during that trip, who has never seen those pieces in person....

The heart's affections are divided like the branches of the cedar tree; if the tree loses one strong branch; it will suffer but it does not die; it will pour all its vitality into the next branch so that it will grow and fill the empty place.

Kahlil Gibran 

This is a small canvas,  I sent three of these they measure 9" x 12" and were part of my "Visual Poetry" series.

This one to the right is super meaningful as I painted it the first time that my son went on a full week's vacation with the ex husband.... I was so worried and concerned, it was my prayer for Sacred care while he was away.
This is a piece that was bathed in tears as I painted it during that week,
lots of rum and cokes and m&m's ..... a time where everything was so new to me. I married so young, that being a divorcee opened up a world of so many things.... dating and dancing and paying bills and worries as a student/working single mom.... but my son was my *all* (still is!).... I pray he is always protected and cared for my *All that Is*.

Love is the only freedom in the world because it so elevates the spirit that the laws of humanity and the phenomena of nature do not alter its course.

Kahlil Gibran

I also sent them some of my favorite "Abstracted figurative" pieces 
This piece measurees 2 x 3 feet (or larger)

These were pieces about love and desire. About broken pieces of humanity coming together to form an "us"

When I painted them, I was going through relationships in the style of the Surrealists: "serial dating"....
I was very interested in the concept of 'soulmates' and unions... sex was for the first time "in mind" and enjoyable (my first marriage is one I was forced into by my mother, it was love-less and sex was a chore).
I discovered so much about myself... a time of shedding and great personal growth.

See the wings? :

God has given you a spirit with wings on which to soar into the spacious firmament of Love and Freedom. Is it not pitiful than that you cut your wings with your own hands and suffer your soul to crawl like an insect upon the earth?

Kahlil Gibran

This piece measures about 2 x 3 feet.

I could go on and on... and in the past I have... before Sergio accidentally crashed my website two years ago, I had documented all my contacts with Mexican and USA authorities to try to get my work back. There, I had letters from Mexico lying about the fact that they had my work... a letter from the Mexican cultural attache, washing his hands off of the whole "affair" (as he put it)- admitting, yet back pedaling re: his knowledge of the theft....  etc. etc.
BUT, I don't want to focus on all the negativity... I am excited to know where these pieces are, and will hopefully someday be able to better document them via good photos or scans.

Spiritual awakening is the most essential thing in man's life, and it is the sole purpose of being. Is not civilization, in all its tragic forms, a supreme motive for spiritual awakening?

Kahlil Gibran

Delaware Art Exhibit, Claudia Olivos and Sergio OlivosM

A few days ago, Sergio and I received an invitation to exhibit our work in a Museum in Delaware.

Sergio will be exhibiting three of his wonderful encaustics , and I will be exhibiting two of my colorful abstracted pieces including one of Sergio's favorite's A Demon in my Beautiful life.




Also, as many of you know...this year we will be in process of many things for our future.

A year ago we decided to greatly scale back from our studio classes to focus more on our work... this year, we continue with that aim.

We are looking to both New Mexico and New York as places that would be ideal for our art. We are at this time simply trusting that the universe will conspire with us as we pursue our dreams..thank you so much for sharing in the journey!

And last but not least... as we feel the tugging of Autumn at the feet of summer...we begin to think of our big Open Studio in december...yes, we know it is early: but please make a note in your calendar and come and visit us for an ART-FULL evening of fun and cheeer on December 4-we love to see all our friends here for our anual pARTy!