Andres

I was born in Santiago, and although I did not get to live there long, I have many memories of what life was like as a boy in Chile; the music, colours, smells, the cold sea and snow capped mountains.  I have distinct memories of grape vines everywhere, of deliscious avocados, persimmons, happy latin american music, family gatherings, seafood and red meats, and fresh bread baked at the local bakery morning and afternoon. It was quite a charming place back then, and made a huge impression on me at a young age.

My fondest memories revolved around my grandparents: a grandmother dancing and singing tangos playing on the radio on Sunday to a grandpa who was a butcher and held large family diners where lamb, calf, ribs, and seafood were served.  My family loved to drink, eat and debate for hours.  Grandma was notorious for telling jokes not suitable for minors, and the wine flowed freely at all times. I cherish all of my many happy childhood memories. I learned to eat raw oysters and baby-rock clams fresh from \"la Vega\" (the market).  I remember trying wine and horse-back riding at a young age- probably much younger than I should have and having a love for animals.

Just 3 months after turning 5, my parents decided to immigrate to Canada.  My father had always wanted to move, and it was either a choice between Australia, Kuwait or Canada.  My father worked for LAN Chile and applied for a job opportunity with Austin Airways, based in Timmins, ON. I remember us stopping in New York City before we proceeded to Canada. This was the first time I saw people of different ethnic backgrounds, heard English, saw pretty girls washing their hair in public bathrooms and felt like I was completely in a different world. The grandness and \"naughtiness\" of New York of the 1970’s made an impression on me of what America was like.

I grew up in Northern Ontario, where you felt like you are a million miles away from the rest of the world.  I spent my childhood surrounded by lush forests, fishing trips, dissecting insects, studying wildlife looking out for bears, moose, and beavers - you name it, it could be found nearby. This is the first time I had to learn to adapt to: a new country,  language life-style, foods, and isolation.  I felt isolated and missed my family back home, especially my grandmother, her horses, and her farm house.

On vacation, during one of our trips back to Santiago, I discovered that Chile was very rich in Arts and Literature with names like Pablo Neruda and Gabriela Mistral, and Violeta Parra were thrown at me. I later learned how to sketch from my dad who used to do this to explain aircraft structures and repairs. He was very passionate about his work and taught me the importance of precision, dedication and working hard in life. He would later obtain his Aeronautical Engineering Licenses and Certifications. in The beauty and precision alone in the symmetry of the fuselage, wings and tail of an aircraft blew me away far beyond the complex math situations involved. I began to understand two-dimensional shapes and three-dimensional objects first hand. And even though most kids are fascinated by the cockpit of an aircraft with all its valves and buttons, I was more interested in seeing how symmetry was so central to the mathematical description of many natural phenomena. So I began to sketch at a young age, and then proceeded to painted dogs and animals at the age of 7. I was given a microscope at the age of 9 and began sketching what I saw. By the time I was in my teens I began to study German and Latin as I used to pick up languages quickly.

I attribute my fun side to my mother; she was personable, beautiful, generous, and fun to be around. She taught me about color, how they work, and how to use them tastefully. They say Latin boys adore their mothers, and I am no exception here. Her good nature, generosity and approachability made her even that much more attractive to be around. I guess she is the most loving person I have ever met. She had endured a hard childhood and worked very hard all her life, yet she always had a smile or a good word that could change your day just like that! As a boy it was common for my friends to have a crush on her, and this used to drive me crazy! She and my dad finally gave into the idea of getting me a companion and at the age of 9 my world changed forever the day my brother Jonathan was born. I learned what a great thing life can be when we have blessings like this come into our life. Until now, this has been that happiest day I recall in my life, the day I got my very own brother. As a boy he was a happy, energy, funny sense of humor and loved sports - a great compliment to the family as these were my weak points. Mom sadly started getting sick for a while and it was not until 1986 when we discovered she had lupus. As a family unit, we all became closer as we worked hard to help out and help her cope with health challenges. Sadly in 1992 mom died, on a cold November morning and life would never sparkle or shine for me quite the same. It caught us all by surprise and we were not emotionally prepared for this great loss.

They say that time helps heal all pain, and sadly I did not smile or find anything that could help fill the void and loss I felt in my soul for a very long time. It is only looking back that I realize how sad it was that I not laugh or smile for about 6 years. So I guess I was depressed because I lost all desire to do anything or grow in life. It took a lot of trial and error, a lot of tears and a lot of determination as I learned to get beyond living one day at a time. After all I was mama’s boy and my biggest source of encouragement was gone. Amidst a lot of grey-cloudy confusion I wanted to pick myself up and turn things around, slowly making changes and practicing to smile because I did not like what I saw in the mirror. I worked for First Air in Ottawa for 7 years and decided travel abroad and get a better appreciation for life. I forced myself to keep working hard, participating in activities and cutting off any negative thoughts or doubts about what I could achieve or do in life. I visited Hawaii, Chile, Argentina, Brazil, and Cuba and different points throughout the US, and became addicted to adventure. I ended up as a Flight Crew Scheduler/Trainer and at the turn of the century decided to go to College and learn design and Web Development - IT. I decided to give up my seniority at the airline and good salary to do something that I wanted to do. Ottawa was in the midst of an economic IT boom and I began to work for a small group of consultants and looked after updating and maintaining their website. I also decided to go to Ottawa School of Art and learn proper painting techniques.

Acceptance is one of the hardest lessons I have had to learn in life. I realized that life is not fair and I would have to get used to it. I have reservations about discussing my spiritual side here because it is very a sensitive and controversial area that I prefer remain private. I will say this though, I now value respecting people and their beliefs, race and orientation. I began painting again when I found myself living in a small apartment with my brother and I am very thankful for this catalyst. It was my way of making something beautiful out of a lot of craziness. I made a lot of life changing decisions during this time, and ended up picking up and moving to New York.

I think I was happy for the first time in many years when I lived there. I felt for the first time that my life was going somewhere and that absolutely anything was possible; not to mention that I felt right at home in this part of the world because of it’s strong Latin presence - Spanish being spoken on the streets and people from all different Latin American roots. I met friends I will have for life who were passionate about their work, their dreams and the life they wanted to build. I savored a metropolis that radiated energy, creativity and ideas. One such friend was Steven Tapia (now www.steventapia.com), who I worked on websites with and who impressed me with his flash skills and optimism. I learned my way around Manhattan like the back of my hand, and enjoyed each of its Boroughs- Brooklyn, Queens, and the Bronx for all they had to offer. I felt compelled to paint any time I had off, since living here was an adventure and every day was unique and different. I free-lanced as a web designer in New York, getting jobs with musicians, artists, jewelry and fashion designers, producers, entertainers, photographers and others. It was not always easy because the demands and expectations were very high and everything happened quickly - at a pace I was unused to. At this point I painted mostly in oils, and was experimenting with photography. I was too young perhaps or just had not developed an appreciation for bold statements until I came to briefly know someone who opened my curiosity for the colour red. Her name was Cindy, and she was a sweet endearing soul who had an appreciation for design and good taste. As she put it, she just \"loved all things red.\" I continued to work hard in freelance and was formally assessed at a Bachelor of Arts in Graphic Design in New York.

Life has a way of throwing unexpected turns and twists at you, and in my case my move to Montreal, Canada was one of those unplanned changes that just happened very fast. I would miss New York very much for quite some time, visiting as often as I could, trying to recapture that magic that it once held for me. What I would miss the most is how every day would be unique, special and full of unexpected surprises. I would have to get used to living a more predictable pace of life, one that would allow me more time to focus on my art - versus busting my butt to make rent or ends meet.

I continue to learn many new things every day, and although life throws a lot of things at each one of us, I paint with my heart, and it has not only been my drug to keep me going, my therapy that helps me cope and keep growing. Up until recently I never wanted to sell my art, or show much of it to others, but I have come to understand that as personal as it is, it would bring no happiness to others if it stayed locked up from the rest of the world to see. In the past I was interested in and studied Languages, Meteorology and Design, but this time I wanted to formally pursue something completely new. I decided to try and formally study something that was more hands on then web design upon my return to Canada, and chose to enroll at Kiné-Concept Institute and study Swedish Massage Therapy to compliment my artistic side.

I currently live in Montreal for 4 years now and am happy to practice and improve my French each day. Although it is my dream to paint all day long, for now I make a living in massage therapy. It provides a good balance as it is considered a healing art form. I am not sure how long I will continue here, but I currently enjoy a simpler life with a lot more free time to paint.

For those of you who find the colour red too bold or if you associate it with a dark past, I have one thing to say to you - \"The devil does not wear red.\" 

Purchase Art

Welcome

Interested in purchasing a painting? Best way to go is to contact me by email or call and make an offer!  All serious offers will be considered.  First come first serve.  If you feel a connection with a piece please tell me about your connection and the meaning it has for you, and I will be inclined to negotiate.