On the cable, Passer hismaniolensis

On the cable, Passer hismaniolensis
Oil painting on wood, 30x15 cm

`The noisy colony dwelt in others´home.
The look of the winged .... examines."

This text accompanies this small work. I usually insert texts in my works; they are a sort of haiku, sometimes anecdotes or experiences in nature, another times they are data about the featured species.

I began to insert them after taking part, in December 2002, in a group exhibition, together with James Foster (photographer) and Alfonso Aramburu (watercolorist), which served as the opening of `The 9th meeting of writers in Doñana´, and after an inspiring weekend, full of art and culture, with Luis García Montero, Almudena Grandes, Antonio Ramírez Almansa, Alfonsa Acosta, Diego Ropero, Juan Drago, Caballero Bonald, Pérez Mercader and Arcángel, among others.

Female Mallard - Anas platyrhynchos

Female Mallard - Anas platyrhynchos
Graphite on paper, 30x23 cm.

This is a drawing I made as a study for a big work in which I´m working.
It´s a scene that I was lucky enough to see at Navaseca Lagoon, Daimiel.

Course on Fusible Crucible

Balance, Recurvirostra avosetta
Model in wax, 100x47x29 cm aprox.

Every artistic process of Wildlife Art begins with direct experience in nature. I was lucky to see a mating between two avocets at the Navaseca Lagoon next to the Tablas de Daimiel National Park . I had already thought about making this kind of work and watching the scene was a great help so as to correct some little mistakes in my previous sketch.

Preliminary study of the work in wax
Wax, 60x30x23 cm. aprox.

These days I am using sheets of wax as construction means. This sketch is a round shape made to be developed in polyester resin and painted in oils.

Sketch of Balance, Recurvirostra avosetta
Graphite pencil in paper, 50x25 cm.

Morphological study of a wing of Recurvirostra avosetta
Graphite pencil on paper, 50x25 cm.

Sketch of a female Recurvirostra avosetta
Graphite pencil on paper, 25x50 cm.

I made some morphological studies of the species; as this is a dynamic process I had to make new notes during the modeling process of the piece.

After the modeling (which was a 3 week-process working five hours a day), the intensive week in which wax is transformed into bronze begins. This time I attended the lessons of Dr. Juan Carlos Albaladejo González, Professor in the Department of Painting and Sculpture of La Laguna University, in Tenerife. He showed us his innovative method in artistic casting: Lost-wax casting by using `fusible crucible´

Here are some pictures of our work during last week.

Preparing the casting tree.

Dr. Albaladejo explains how to join the crucible and the casting mould.

Preparing the support to separate the mould from the floor.

Removing wax.

Our improvised workshop at the yard of the Community Center "Casa de las Sirenas" in the Alameda de Hércules (in the historic center of Seville).

Finally I could make two moulds: the body and the wings of the male. I´ll try to cast the female in July.

First knocks on the mould after the casting.

Removing the ceramics shell.
The pieces have part of the ceramics shell. They are at an exhibition in the same place we were working in.
I still have to remove the ceramics shell and the casting tree, brush the piece, sweat the body and the wings, coating it and assembling it with my typical rectangles which symbolize the small room we leave for nature.

Finally, I´d like to thank Carmen and Itahisa for persuading Dr. Albaladejo to teach us. I am also grateful to José A. Aguilar and Enrique Caetano for the organization, we all know the upheaval of a casting in a mutipurpose classroom. Thanks to my friends Andrés and Lolita, you are part of my family.
To Cordero, Tannia, Bea, Marta and Luis G. Cruz (my teacher), Jorge, Gil, Manu, Lolo, Mónica and everybody else, thank you for being there.

Redwing, Turdus iliacus

Redwing, Turdus iliacus
Óleo sobre tabla, 21x30 cm.

I´d like to show you the creative process of one of my last works; I also enclose some details. Every step I show is equivalent to a 30-minutes session when talking of the works in graphite and 4-hours in the case of oil paintings.

Redwing, Turdus iliacus (Detalle)
Oil on wood, 21x30 cm.

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Note: I´m still outraged. Our salaries have been reduced once again while speculators and bankers,sponsored by politicians sold out to the markets, make themselves at ease. And we are waiting for more cuttings...

For a quality public education

Hello everybody and forgive my delay in posting. The beginning of this academic course is not being very nice... Politicians are mistreating public education and, on the pretext of the crisis (which has not been caused by education), are reducing the budget for this item. About one thousand supply teachers have not been hired this year and next year they may be four thousand in Castilla-La Mancha, including primary education teachers (and it is the same for Madrid and other autonomous regions). Splitting groups, library, playground and hall duties, remedial/reinforcement programmes, bilingualism programmes... have also been reduced or withdrawn, so we are protesting against it...(last October 22nd, about 75,000 people (teachers, parents and students from Madrid, Castilla-La Mancha, Galicia, Castilla y León, Cataluña, Extremadura, Navarra, Valencia, Baleares and Asturias) demonstrated against these cuttings. Meanwhile, politicians try to misled public opinion saying that we are protesting because we don´t want to have two additional lessons.
Since the beginning of September we have had, at least, one day of demonstrations and mass meetings in Ciudad Real, Tomelloso, Toledo and Madrid to "organize" ourselves because some trade unions which are in favour of the government don´t support our demands. Disgust and an active attitude in favour of public education don´t allow me to devote the time I´d like to the blog.
At this moment, I "break" my personal ideas which made me think that here I would only include information about my works. I think the situation calls for it.

Besides, all this activity is affecting me... Lots of ideas come to me. I wonder if the paintings I make to be watched are necessary..., if my political ideas should have a more important role in my works... I don´t know... I feel that way now...

Here I show you a work whose preliminary steps I posted before.. I think it reveals the immediacy of this genre, though my processes are a bit slow...

Purple Swamp-hen, Porphyrio sp.
Oil on wood, 42x61'5 cm.

Purple Swamp-hen, Porphyrio sp. (Detail)
Oil on wood, 42x61'5 cm.

If you want to watch the post in which I showed part of the process of creation click here.

Priego 2011 Sculpture

Alba
Bronce, hierro y madera, 180x80x50 cm. medidas aprox.

One year more I´ve spent part of my summer holidays in Priego de Córdoba, sharing them with good friends and new mates, and devoting my time to drawing and sculpture.

Alba (detail - Barn owl, Tyto alba)
Bronze, iron and wood, 180x80x50 cm. aprox. measures

Alba (detail - Common shrew, Crocidura russula)
Bronze, iron and wood, 180x80x50 cm. approx. measures

Previous sketch of the work and studies of common shrew, Crocidura russula
Graphite and watercolour on paper, 25x25 cm.

I have been thinking in this project for two years. It came up from the impression a barn owl flying caused to me while I was driving one night; it was almost still. The image of the bird etched into my memory and I made a sketch as soon as I could. I also made some studies of a barn owl flying and I thought it would be interesting bto complete the work with a common shrew as possible prey of the `hunter´.

Sketch of Barn owl, Tyto alba
Graphito and watercolour on paper, 30x25 cm.

Morphological study of the head and sketch of the body
Graphite on paper, 25x25 cm.

Morphological study of Barn owl
Graphite on paper, 50x25 cm.

In order to mature the idea of the work I made some morphological studies of the main figure.

Image where you can see the comparison between the wax figure and the previous drawings. You can also see the silicone mold Marta (one of the teachers)made. I have a common shrew in process for her...

In this one I compare the wing in wax with the drawing.

Barn owl, molds in wax, Tyto alba
Casting wax, real size

In order to make easier the casting process I made the Barn owl in three parts -body, and two wings- which I weld later.

Next to the work.
I´ve set the pieces (Barn owl and Common shrew)on an iron structure, using the rectangle in my works to which I fit a wooden window frame I had found in a rubble container.

One of the special moments in the workshop. David came almost every day and worked with us.

This is David´s work; it´s in the fridge waiting to be casted.

Priego 2011 Drawing

This year I´ve enjoyed the life drawing lessons with model very much. After three or four disappointing sittings, I decided to use my left hand... I was atonished at the results: I was able to approximately keep the proportions of the model and I think that the irregular, nervous lines give my paintings a plasticity I wasn´t able to achieve using my right hand. Another advantage is that, avoiding details, the time required to make a drawing is less. I´m looking forward to going to the country to draw with my left hand.

Life drawings with model
Graphite, charcoal and coloured pencils on A3 paper.

Life drawings with model

Graphite, charcoal, watercolours and coloured pencils on A4 paper

Life drawings with model
Graphite, charcoal, watercolours and coloured pencils on A5 paper

Life drawing with model
Charcoal on A4 paper

This year we also spent a sitting drawing horses, the passion of the Master-D. Venancio Blanco. This is the best of the works of that sitting.