"Rocky Neck" Oil/canvas 20" x 24"

"Trees at Rocky Neck" Oil / canvas 20" x 24"

"Magic deer" Acrylic 36" x 36"

I made this painting after a walk in the woods with Karin, who later became my wife. It was kind of our first date and we talked about everything. I didn't know at that time that our lives were going to be bound together but we both knew that something special was happening when we saw this little deer coming out of the woods and staring at us really close without being afraid. It happened right after the walk was over, like a perfect ending for a perfect day. The full moon walked us out of the forest into our new life together. Now the painting is hanging in a special place in our house, and the magic is still there.

"Arrayanes" Acrylic 40" x 40"

In the south of Argentina, part of Patagonia, near the city of Bariloche there's a narrow peninsula in the lake. A small trail runs down the middle. If you follow it until the end you'll find your reward. A unique forest of Arrayanes lies along the beach. These trees have orange trunks and they are usually small and isolated bushes. To see a whole forest of them it is a strange thing, so for me it is a magical place, an orange and magical place.

Plain air at Granby farm, CT

Last Sunday, Sep. 16 many artists got together to paint at the Wilhelm Farm were a program open to the public took place which included a talk about the importance of local farms and orchards. There was a farm tour an a nice lunch complimenting a fun day for outside painting. Some artists took advantage of the occasion to get ideas for the Granby's Farms & Orchards Juried Art Show that will open Thursday, November 1 at J. Vallee Brunelle Fine Art & Framing. For more information about this event go to http://www.granbylandtrust.org/

I really like painting outside. When I started painting in Argentina I used to go out with friends to spend the day painting at different locations outside the city. I learned very quickly the big differences between something painted on site and a painting made inside the studio. The work outside always looks more loose and fresh, more spontaneous. At the studio you can do wonderful things too but for me the best work is when I can capture some of that energy that I can only get when I work surrounded by the landscape. It takes a lot of practice to be able to do that, to make the painting look alive, powerful yet subtle. I not always succeed but I try to achieve that every time.

I didn't bring my brushes that day but I brought my camera and I took pictures of some of the participants. In these pictures you can see Laura J. Eden, the work of Diane Stone and Dorothy Dumond.
I want to thank the organizers for a fun day among colleagues and enthusiasts of plein air painting.

"Leave III" Acrylic 30" x 36"

I don't know if this season is called Fall because of the leaves. I do know that every year the leaves ride the wind trying to control it. It is a colossal job that requires total commitment, after all it is the last task for them before they reach the ground which is their heaven. The day will come when one of these humble leaves would finally tame the wind and complete the project. That would be the last Autumn because the leaves won't have to fall anymore.

"Autumn leave" Acrylic 36" x 36"

One, two, three slowly they go to meet below. When the wind appears shaking its wings, then look around and you'll see the signs that the time has come

"Leave" Acrylic 36" x 36"

A closer look to the tree world reveals another world , another tree world

This is a picture of one of my favorite trees, the jacarandá.

I always wanted to make a painting of this tree. It is very difficult to come up with the right colors though. I tried a few times but I was very disappointed with the results. There is no picture that can capture the subtle tones of its foliage. There is a beautiful Spanish song that describes its color as "celeste", pale blue:

Al Este y al Oeste llueve y lloverá

una flor y otra flor celeste del jacarandá...

el cielo en la vereda dibujado está

con espuma y papel de seda del jacarandá

but I think it's not accurate, its true colors are a combination of light blue, purple, pink and other tones. I want to capture that richness of colors that you see when you are in front of one of them. I'll keep trying and I'll post it as soon as I reach my goal.

"Macuco Trail I - II" Acrylic 11" x 14"

Notes in color from Argentina forest

"Three trees" Acrylic 48" x 48"

"Coventry" Oil 8" x 10"

"Autumn" Watercolor 18" x 24"

Whenever I feel the pressure of a stressful day , whenever I have the urge to slow down, I sit under the shade of a welcoming tree. The rhythm of nature should be my rhythm.

"Red factory" Oil 24" x 30"

Silence speaks louder in winter, like bold colors next to the snow.

"Cerca de casa" Acrylic 30" x 36"

Not far from home there is a quiet stream whispering wisdom to the trees. They talk about men and about concepts we don't understand. The trees want to know what does it feel not to have roots but to have liquid feet. The stream wants to know how to be tall and how to extend arms to play with the wind.

Why I paint what I paint

I started this blog to show my work to a wide range of people that I couldn't reach otherwise. But soon I realized that taking the time for posting is giving me the opportunity to think about my work in a way that I never did before. I've been thinking for instance about the subject matter I choose for my paintings, why do I paint what I paint?. Let say trees for example. My first thought of why I paint trees was that when I first came from Argentina to live here in Connecticut I fell in love with the woods around this area, the views here are fantastic and I supposed I wanted to express my feelings through my art. Before coming here I used to live in Buenos Aires, a large city with a lot of greys and too little green around, pretty much like any other large city. The contrast for me was so big and real that it was obvious for me to try to paint what captured my attention. But when I used to live in Argentina and I had my studio in the heart of the city in Buenos Aires I used to paint trees too.
So the truth is that I don't know why I choose what I choose to paint. As in life, I don't know the reasons for many of the things I do. I can give explanations of almost every painting I've made about why I did it. But many times I'm not really sure that what I'm saying is entirely true. It's not that I lie, it's just that almost all my subjects I paint were chosen unconsciously. The explanation comes after. I don't really need reasons to paint something specific, I go with what strike me at that moment. As everybody, I have my little obsessions so I get stuck in some particular themes I'm interested in for mysterious reasons. I'm also a little scattered I guess because I can paint completely unrelated subjects in a different style. That used to bother me, especially other colleague's comments about how I should pick one style, one idea and stick with it in order to show a more consistent body of work. But you can't fight against your own nature and you shouldn't. In any case, I don't show everything I do now but at the same time I have no problem showing something different if I believe it is worth being shown, meaning that it is honest work, the real me.

"Paper birch trees" Acrylic 24" x 30"

No men is allow in this place unless he has roots instead of feet and the wisdom of the people with leaves.

"Arbol abuelo" Acrylic 24" x 30"

Made in and out with the fibers of time , the creature breathes moans and prayers collected by the four winds.

"Bosquecito" Acrylic 24" x 30"

Life is a mystery to be solved. The clues are out there but I have to find them and I don't know where to start. I guess in a sense we are all looking for that hidden treasure buried in an ocean of trees.

"Patch of light" Acrylic 24" x 30"

As always, I was looking for something , although I didn't know exactly what. I reached a vast line of orange trees . One of the trees was missing and the long line was broken. I went inside and followed a blurred path. After a long walk I found myself inside the heart of the woods. In the middle of the clear space there was a patch of light.