Steve Hastings
I am a US-based artist best known for creating large landscape paintings in a surrealistic style. My paintings depict American southwest landscapes with a touch of magical realism. Largely based on the seasonal blooms of the many cactus plants found in the Chihuahuan desert that stretches from northeastern Mexico to southwestern America, my work is an attempt to create a space for the viewer to catch a glimpse of nature’s eternity.
Traveling through the great southwest, I became familiar with the paintings of Georgia O’Keeffe in Santa Fe, New Mexico and was greatly influenced by her work. Born in Munich, Germany, I naturally studied the great European masters and found myself channeling the Zeitgeist of my mentors into my love for the great American desert with its beautiful land of wall to wall sky.
My fascination with life in the desert has now focused on the many cactus plants that thrive there. They are the guardians of life in a world where conditions are harsh and water is scarce. All creatures there know to gain the life giving water found within, one must avoid the painful needles of their protection. Today, creating art is the only thing left for me to do in our high tech, digital society where I alone can still make something of beauty with my imagination, my own two hands and maybe if I’m lucky, my heart.
Kelsey Kilcrease
Artist & Illustrator
“Somos de aqui, somos de alla”
My name is Kelsey Kilcrease and I am a visual artist and native El Pasoan, now based out of Albuquerque, New Mexico. My primary focus is painting, with work ranging from digital illustrations to large scale murals. My work is a celebration of the rich and diverse culture of the Southwest, with a particular emphasis on the Hispanic experience. Through vibrant use of color and deliberate exploration of cultural motifs, I strive to capture the essence of this region and its unique identity. With each brushstroke, I delve deeper into the complex and multifaceted landscape of color, inviting my viewers to immerse themselves in a visual odyssey of the Southwest. My work is dedicated to portraying the vibrancy and beauty of this distinctive realm and all that it encompasses.
Moises Garcia
MY HOBBY BECAME MY PASSION, MY PASSION BECAME MY JOB..
I was born and raised in Socorro, TX and from a young age I have been making different forms of art. My first teacher was my father who is one of the best craftsmen I know. He realized that I had a love for the arts and he supported and motivated me. I received an Art Degree from UTEP with a major in Graphic Design and a minor in Drawing. I have been making a living as an Artist and Draftsman for the past 18 years. I enjoy making fine art and illustrations using different mediums with my artwork leaning more towards realism. My work also includes graphic design, drafting and 3d modeling jewelry designs for a local ring manufacturer.
I have been consistently exhibiting my artwork at different galleries and am grateful to be recognized with a few awards along the way.
“My hobby became my passion, my passion became my job and I continue to push and challenge myself artistically every day.”
Adriana Peraldi
Binational Plastic Artist
IF THERE IS AN ECHO IN THE SOUND, THERE IS A MEMORY IN AN IMAGE.
Conflicts and management of emotions in human beings are the key point in my artistic work. I view myself as an “Observer of internal conversations.” In my paintings I capture with vivid colors, movements, saturations, and transparency at the same time those sensations and emotionality’s experienced by us human beings as a challenge to create topics of conversation in the viewer.
My interest in maintaining art as pieces of conversation and liberation has led me to work with young people in the border area (Art Therapy), so that this becomes a liberating process for them and is at the same time a watershed for open conversations of the heart.
Working with mixed techniques rich in colors, pure and strong tones, I try to give my work a physical presence. The result of this work often creates this manipulation of proportions and scales and transforms it into a unique form of expression.
“I try to reach those depths of our emotions, where we can break our own world of judgments, where my own interpretations can become a conversation without borders.”
Adriana Peraldi was born in El Paso, TX., raised in Cd. Juárez, Chihuahua Mexico., thus leading an artistic studio on both sides of the border following local, national, and international teachers as mentors; with more than 30 varied exhibitions over the years.
Today, woman, partner, mother, friend, teacher and “open warehouse of liberating emotionality’s.”
And what better than to talk about memories as a healing release.
My art is liberating.
Paul Telles
“Humility is the act of failing over and over again; only to give thanks, pick myself up, and start anew.” Paul Telles graduated from the University of Texas at El Paso with a BFA in graphic design and painting. He currently works as a graphic and structural designer for Franklin Mountain Packaging.
As a fine artist, Paul’s main medium is oil on canvas and concentrates mainly on the human form. He uses the form as an outlet to express different emotions and struggles he feels when interacting with the world.
Paul frequently ventures out of his comfort zone; trying new techniques and color palettes in order to refine his own skill; sometimes venturing to far out of his comfort and watching as it slowly falls out of control. Dealing with failed pieces and ideas he learns how to regain his footing and take failure as the ultimate teaching tool, learning what to bring into the next piece and what to discard.
Nico Antuna Coope
Nico Antuna Cooper is a multimedia artist native to the El Paso borderland. His mixed-media, mixed-genre approach incorporates influences ranging from the New York School of Abstract Expressionism to classical iconography and techno rave posters. A digital Renaissance Man, his oeuvre includes large scale canvases, electronic music productions, Spanish guitar performances, and poetry. His work focuses on cross-genre identity and the removal of borders in artistic practices, creating beauty through passionate movement and intense color.
He received his Master of Fine Arts from the bilingual Creative Writing Program at The University of Texas at El Paso and his undergraduate degree in International Studies and Spanish from the University of New Mexico. In addition to art, he is a professor, real estate agent, and wine specialist.
TINO ORTEGA
El Paso based artist, Albert “Tino”,Ortega, is an autodidact that has been creating murals for the past decade. During his career, he has immersed himself in numerous mediums, allowing his artwork to conform into multiple styles of realism. He is influenced by his upbringing on the border, a geographic area that lies between two countries, three states, and two cities. By depicting the multicultural people and places of the southern border, Tino has and continues to bring emphasis into its scenery and community illustrating unity and perseverance.
LYUBA TITOVETS
Creating illustrations is a special kind of art. It entails a new way of thinking and is as unique as poetry. It takes time to immerse yourself into the world of a poetic mind, imagining and then expressing it visually – all of this takes patience and experience, which often times is weeks, months… The technique of watercolor is intricate and not forgiving, it requires precision, skills and clear thinking to make it look fresh, clean, harmonious and transparent. Often it takes several attempts. I’ve been doing watercolors since the age of 5 when I had my first art teacher in St. Petersburg. It is a common medium in Russia. Each piece is done by hand and you can discover a layered world within it.
I’m grateful for this opportunity to showcase my illustrations for the upcoming book by respected Mexican poetess, Carmen Amato, called “A Donde Vaya” (Wherever I May Go). Alongside the watercolor painting are a few other projects, including original artwork for posters for Siglo D’Oro Festival at the Chamizal Memorial, Wine Festival and Bruce Nehring Chamber Music Festivals.
This artwork exhibit showcases a different side of my artistic repertoire, a peek into my imaginative world.
Mabel Weber
Motto: “Art is better than therapy”
Mabel Weber is a freelance illustrator specializing in fashion, portrait, lifestyle and beauty. She was born in Mexico and raised on the borderland of Texas. Her work is inspired by the desert elements and bicultural icons, both city and urban style. She has collaborated with many community projects like “Threads of Reality”, a collaborative effort to portray immigration and the borderland from the human view of the migrant. Mabel also teaches art at St. Clements Parish School.
Production flows from watercolor and inks to oil, mixed media and digital art allowing for print and online publications.
Jason Lucero
Jason Lucero was born in Lawton, Oklahoma and raised in El Paso, TX. He received his BFA in Studio Art : Painting, with a minor in Printmaking, from the University of Texas at El Paso. He has exhibited work in Dallas, Austin, El Paso, Las Cruces, and San Diego. He is currently balancing his career in the culinary field while maintaining a growing body of visual artwork.
“I rely on intuitive action and fundamental decision-making when developing images. I find it is the best way to explore the raw process that goes into creating, and often grab ideas from dreams, memories, and general observation. The duality in aesthetics is the main challenge that engages my work. The grimy and pretty, loud versus quiet, chaos and harmony, are simple examples of problems to address when composing and resolving my pieces.”
Eva Leos
Eva Leos is Mexican American in the truest and most literal sense of the term. Born in El Paso, TX, the US/Mexico border, she grew up traveling between two countries, two cultures, two worlds. She is a self-taught visual artist, using collage and mixed media to present her unique reflection of female sexuality to the world. Her work lays bare feminine sexual desires, revealing the unspoken and intangible hunger that makes us truly human. These impulses have been condemned by men and women alike, which only serves to inflame such taboos. After all, no woman is pure, we all have a little bit of “bad” in us. With her art, Eva hopes to create a dialog where men and women can talk openly about their feelings, without judgment, when they see a sexual image. If her work upsets you then perhaps it is effectively drawing you out of your puritanical shell and into the light of human desire.
Christin Apodaca
Christin Apodaca is an illustrator and muralist living and working in El Paso, Texas. Inspired by nature and the relationship to our surroundings, Apodaca creates black and white line drawings that weave native plants and the human existence into surreal, dream-like compositions. Her works usually include nopales, yucca and creosote (to name a few) to represent endurance, strength and life.
By using only black markers as her tool, Apodaca creates values and textures with a simple cross-hatch highlighting the negative space around it. Shapes are defined by the weight of her lines. Color is then imagined by the viewer and created by their relationship to the subject matter. Apodaca feels that artwork doesn’t always need color to be powerful.
Apodaca attended the University of Texas at El Paso as well the University of New Mexico in Albuquerque where she studied oil painting and received her bachelor’s degree. Upon moving back to El Paso after graduating, Apodaca has created more than fifteen murals in the community. She has worked with UTEP, NMSU, Tecate, West Elm, The Salvation Army and many local El Paso businesses. Apodaca hopes to continue to inspire others in her community through her art and passion for painting.
Giancarlo Greco
“Art speaks where words are unable to explain.”
Giancarlo Greco has been involved in art his entire life. He pursued a career as a professional dancer for many years and traveled around the world as an international competitor. He is originally from a rustic region of Italy, known as Puglia. Giancarlo’s perspective is that art is everywhere, around everyone, and that is why he chose photography to express his vision of art. He studied at New York Institute of Photography to master his tool, express and communicate his emotion to others. In his words, “I think that if everyone of us can just stop for a moment and look at things more accurately, we can find a shade of art in every object or every creature.” You are welcome to visit our clinic and art gallery to see Giancarlo’s PERCEZIONE Exhibit.
Hiram Huerta
“Art speaks where words are unable to explain.”
– Mathiole
I am a self-taught artist from El Paso, Texas and I have been painting for 7 years. I am also proud to say that I am a firefighter for this great city, and I love helping our community. My paintings feature a combination of styles including modern, landscapes, and other styles involving using heavy paint with a palette knife.
Omar Huerta
“Every child is an artist. The problem is how to remain an artist once he grows up.”
– Pablo Picasso
El Paso TX based artist, Omar Huerta, has been honing his skills in charcoal art, and concentrating in portraits, for the last couple of years. His art work is mainly sold online. Omar’s first art exhibition is featured at Rejuvene MD.
Omar is a self-taught artist, his love for art began at a very young age and has always appreciated art throughout his life. His main inspiration for creating art is to instill the same love for arts in his young daughters.
His favorite medium to use is vine charcoal. It fascinates him how by merely varying the pressure of his fingers and simply turning or rotating the charcoal, can create a whole new kind of stroke. He enjoys the challenge of creating different shades with such a monochromatic medium.
Laura Rachelle Aguilar
“I rejoice in the union of a spirit that speaks to me with his heart … And I understand.”
Laura received her Bachelor of Fine Arts in painting and understudy in photography in 1997 from University of Texas at San Antonio. During her undergraduate training she earned Degan-Bela Scholarship for the Arts, a full silver painting scholarship to Kansas City Art Institute, a four year transfer scholarship to San Francisco Art Institute, a National Dean’s List Award at University of Texas at Austin.
Laura’s work can be found in private collections in Texas, California, Colorado, Louisiana, Georgia, New York, Germany, Italy, Austria, and England. Her writing and illustration can be found in An Architectural Guide to San Antonio (c. 1987). Her poetry is included in a handful of collections and her photography has been featured in Art Forum, Alex Brown Racing, and ChakraBabe Blog. She has provided promotional photos, CD cover art, portfolio development, and personal portraits for other artists and musicians including Tiffany Christopher, The Infidels, Michael Martin, and Leonardo Drew. Pace Foundation retains her archived writing of Organic Existentialism – A Summary on the Work of Leonardo Drew’s Residency in San Antonio, Texas.
Laura demonstrated a talent and interest in drawing at a very early age when her father’s family introduced her to horses. Early drawing skills were fueled by a fascination with the creature’s enigmatic, unspoken language, dynamic physique, visually enchanting beauty, as well as their uniquely free disposition.
Laura has owned as many as 8 retired racehorses at her family home in El Paso. She’s has been self-employed, teaching centered-riding lessons as an endeavor of mutual intent to riders of all ages. Laura’s aptitude for horses’ subtle but profound communications, and sensitivity combined with creative problem-solving skills facilitated enrichment and wellness. One might say that “creativity” and vision unite the fine equine arts.
Laura’s first solo art exhibit in 30 years is featured at Rejuvené MD.
Much of the work hanging has been in existence for more than 25 years.
Given the opportunity to show her work levels her passion of art and hippotherapy with the fruit of her labor and seeds the revival of a long-awaited exhibition.
Laura hopes to reveal recent work in the near future and throughout the years to come. She hopes that this conception resonates with the value of learnedness, hard work and perseverance that can be enjoyed and appreciated.
These works are priced to restore her mission of love as a caregiver and teacher. She offers commissions in production of future paintings, photography and calligraphy. Laura is active and experienced in public relations, modeling and community collaboration for education as well. She is on the verge of marketing unique, custom, hand-painted boots, special occasion attire , equestrian resale attire , and will soon be opening the doors to new public location for sales and browsing of her second-hand and vintage clothing collection. In addition, she continues to offer her services as an equine consultant and equestrian instructor.
For the sake of our journey, remember “he not busy being born is busy dying” – Bob Dylan
