CHAPTER 12 - CARLOS OTERO - ESSENTIAL LIGHT



Souffle d'hiver -Private Collection

When you grow up close to the ocean, the light remains in your eyes.

Forever.

It is there, somewhere between your eyelids and your childhood memories.

A fluid layer filled with waves and colours, as Carlos Otero’s canvas.

 A conversation, in the gardens of university, in our home town Caracas, more than thirty years ago, has proven to be somehow prophetic.

UCAB - Caracas

Then and there, on a bench under a mango tree, after a “Reinforced Concrete” class, good definition of torture, Carlos and I had a dream.

He dreamt to be an artist.

I dreamt to start an art gallery.

We wove many projects under those trees.

I remember the sighs, and the laughter.

Life went by and Carlos became an artist.

I became a civil engineer.

The sea is so far away from both of us now, Montreal, Calgary, it almost hurts.

Carlos managed to keep the sea shine of his beloved, Cumana,  in his eyes, and keeps translating it in his works.

Today, the wonders of communication reconnected us.

And the magic of friendship too.

Thirty years later.

The dreams are intact.

The laughter persists.

Carlos sent me his lifetime works, and the lights and shadows that once enfolded us under the mango tree, were suddenly there again, in his magnificent works.

Whether they are tropical fruits, birds of paradise, cubist sensual portraits, or his newest abstract creations, transparencies and vibrant colours always there.

Bird of Paradise

His honest tone, an artist at peace with himself and his surroundings, is delivered in a diaphanous way in his fresh style, medium or large format canvas.

It doesn’t matter how many years have passed.

It doesn’t matter how many feet of snow we have seen fall.

Carlos’s vision came true, and today we welcome him in VER Art Gallery: my dream still in the makings.

The relentless spark never extinguishes.

The essential light is always there.

Carlos Otero

Born in Caracas, Venezuela in 1960.Lives in Montreal, Canada.

His work reveals an ongoing fascination with the colorful energy flow of abstraction.

His work has an amazing impact, touching emotions and at the same time, assimilating the vibrancy of the image.

STUDIES

Graphic Designer degree Fundación Instituto de Diseño (Newman), Caracas, Venezuela. 
Holistic Therapist.

AWARDS

1988  - Cum laudæ for the quality of his work and his academic achievements.

PS: Carlos Otero paints to order. Contact us at VER ART GALLERY  www.verartgallery.com
leonor@ver-artgallery.com

CHAPTER 11: FUN - ROBERTO WEIL

 

Avila Estrellado  - 36 x 45 cm - Art print Hahnemuhle

It has always struck me the conciseness and efficiency of the English language.

In Spanish FUN is “Divertido”, in French: “Amusant” and in German must be something like “Subentrujenbajenwienerstrudel”.

Yet, FUN, is an overused and sometimes tired word. You can hear it hundreds of time everywhere, and then at some point it loses its power.

But then again, when you mix the word FUN, with the word ART, then you have an explosion.

Today I want to talk to you about an explosion:

ROBERTO WEIL.

I have been following him secretly, as any sensible human being that believes the best part of the newspapers are the cartoons.

I  bought a picture by him back in 2003, in Caracas, in a beautiful exhibition called “Caricaturista  en Africa” (Cartoonist in Africa), just captivated by his masterful use of color, lines and sense of humour.

Roberto Weil has been, for all these years, an invisible, quiet presence, here, in my home in Canada.

Suddenly, by even more fortunate series of events and happy connections, Roberto Weil is now filling the walls of VER Art Gallery’s web page with his brilliant interpretation and expression of our idiosyncrasy,  our city Caracas, our magic mountain “ The Avila” and those everyday moments captured in flight.

Avila Panoramico Amarillo - 74 x 22 cm - Art print Hahnemuhle

Roberto Weil is an artist, part of the imagery of every Venezuelan of my generation.

His style is unmistakable.

His mordacity eloquent.

His touch masterful.


Avila Protesta - 37x 50 cm - Art print Hahnemuhle

VER Art Gallery is very honoured to have ROBERTO WEIL as part of our virtual collection.

La Pastora - 50 x 40 cm - Art print Hahnemuhle

What a luxury!

Fun and art having a love affair.

We ship ROBERTO WEIL’s amusement for life, within Canada and worldwide.

No doubt:

“Creativity is intelligence having FUN”

The Good Bull Fighter - 63 x 84 cm - Art print Hahnemuhle

CHAPTER 10: DROPS OF SUNSHINE AND COSMIC POWDER

I stood in front of his greys and felt the solitude of life.

And death.

I felt deeply, more than ever, the exquisite sense of serenity and stillness he wanted to transmit in the ordinary objects that he painted.

When an artist dies, a little sun extinguishes.

Momentarily.

It will shine even brighter, later.

To eternity.

Felix Perdomo (1958 – 2015), one of the most respected and recognized Venezuelan artists, and proudly part of VER Art Gallery collection, passed away in Caracas, in June 2015.

Now, when I look at his picture, hanging on our gallery’s wall, I can see a lot more than his effervescent textures, or his humble and peaceful atmospheres.

I can see tiny little stars and cosmic powder.

Rest in peace.



Felix Perdomo (1958 - 2015)

 

Suddenly I have started to realize that an art gallery is serious stuff.

It is not just a space where you hang pictures on the walls and exchange them for money.

It is a lot more than that.

It is a place full of timeless, borderless, colossal, yet sublime energy.

I experienced recently, another flash of this very physical sensation, when we received two new canvases, from artist Jimmy Day.

When I opened the tube containing the paintings and extended the canvases on my table, a whole universe of home reminiscences, breezes, light, even smells, unrolled in front of me.

Jimmy Day’s “Banana Groves” series are just so full of nerves, veins, colours and light, that they conquered the northern latitudes, with another kind of summer.

Jimmy Day - Banana Grove #5 available @ www.verartgallery.com

We are currently in the process of stretching and framing them and allow them to find their right place in the gallery, until they find another loving home.

In the meantime, I feel a sense of euphoria.

 

Definitely, VER art gallery, more than walls and objects:

 

A rare combination of cosmic powder with drops of sunshine.



Jimmy Day - DROPS OF SUNSHINE available @ www.verartgallery.com

CHAPTER 9: INSTANT ELEGANCE

Pablo Picasso - Nude, Green Leaves and Bust

Art is instant elegance.

Not as in fashion, as art is also a sort of nakedness.

Art is meant for the ethereal body, to cover the skin of the soul, if any.

But in both cases, elegance has to do with character.

Character is always a discovery.

Makes you feel like an explorer,  sailing to a remote island, stepping into the wet, white sand and conquering a whole new world.

Art is also the ultimate luxury.

Art can transform an ordinary corner into a place of splendour, instantly.

What I am trying to do here, maybe very clumsily, is to make a case for why people should invest on art, and more specifically, contact us, Ver Art Gallery.

Recently, and miraculously, I consolidated a small sale.

It felt as if I had sold Van Gogh Sunflowers, or a more recent example Picasso’s Nude, Green leaves and Bust, sold for $106.5 million dollars.

I say it is almost a miracle, because while trying to sell this particular work of art, I kept asking: “Are you sure?  Do you really want this piece?”, “It is expensive you know ..”

And when customers were about to pay, I insisted on sabotaging the sale: “Are you sure you still want this piece?”

Our customers bought the piece and left immensely happy.

And so they should be.

The have just bought style.

A naked truth.

Character.

Rare and distinctive.

 

I am sure their home will be up a level.

This is why people, cities, the world need a moment of stillness, a fleeting instant captured in mid-flight:

 

 Art.

Art is stylishness.

Art is instant elegance.


Like shoes.

 

 

www.verartgallery.com

 

 

 

CHAPTER 8 : OPEN HOUSE - DOCUMENTARY

A year ago, May 16^th, 2014.

I started a diary, in a little notebook with a picture of “El Baño del Caballo”/ “The Bath of the Horse”, de Joaquin Sorolla y Bastida,  one of my favourite painters ever.

Joaquin Sorolla , spanish painter, " The Bath of the Horse"

 

In the first page of the notebook, with my terrible handwriting, I wrote the quote that illustrates this post, in Spanish: “Cada creacion es una victoria sobre el miedo”.

In the beginnings, my Ver Art Gallery diary

 

My first post was all about the excitement of receiving our first two pictures on May 8^th, 2014. Many exciting moments came after that, and will keep coming.

My first post, May 16, 2014

A year after, May 3^rd, 2015, a lot earlier than I planned, we hosted our first Open House.

Every project starts with an idea, and as  physicist Linus Pauling says, “To have a good idea, you need to have many ideas”.

Then you need to start dreaming, and find the best team. The Dream Team.



Alba Gamboa,  Software Engineer, Web Developer; Leonor, me, unstoppable  dreamer; Leo Perez ( my daughter), Graphic Designer, curator; Sancho, mascot.

 

Santiago ( my son), Business Manager; Meen ( my husband), Carpentry and Framing director,  Official translator English - English, copywriter and owner; Sancho, Mascot; Carlos, Financial Advisor

Meen and Leonor, Ver art Gallery Owners

The rest is love.

Special thanks to my friend Regina. She lighted a corner of the Gallery with her hand painted beautiful Taparas.

And Juan Pablo Gonzalez Amaya, talented young Venezuelan artist with a strong, passionate approach and social content. (I owe him a post )

Also, special thanks to Maria Eugenia Otero, my “socia”. She is my eyes and spiritual artistic presence, in Venezuela.  A keen eye for art and a generous soul: that is her. Thank you for all your support.

Finally, the Open House day arrived.

 

I was much stressed, and as always, full of fears.

The soft voice of creation always saves me. For sure, every creation is a victory over fear…

After a couple of Champagne’s glasses, I finally relaxed and even gave a Thank You speech.

Thank you!

The dream has just started.

 

Thanks to all!

CHAPTER 7: THE TEAM

When things are done with love and honesty, at least they have a small chance to succeed.

When you have the best team, then your chances increase exponentially.

I am lucky to say Ver Art Gallery has the best team.

And this is my definition of best team:

The best talent of each person, in the right place, at the right time, with a different motivation than money.

As I have said before, this project, against all scientific theories, has started as “spontaneous generation”.

An exuberant idea, (an art gallery?!?), that would have died at birth if it was not ignited and re-ignited by the talented people around our “lonely wolves” lives.

I want to thank my dream (and also drink) team, for bringing to life an idea and materializing a vision.

Leo Perez, graphic designer, visual communications, quality control, curator. Everything she touches gets better instantly.  Plus she is my extremely talented daughter.

Maria Eugenia Otero, art agent in Caracas, Venezuela. She finds art that talks to me, to us, to all of you.

Alba Gamboa, my big eye, beautiful software engineer and web developer. Always offers not one, but multiple solutions to any problem. Her mom, Janet,  has also been great support, and she makes the best "tortilla de papas" ever.

Santiago Perez, business developer: Somebody needs to remind me that love of art is not enough.  Santiago happens to be my handsome son as well.

Carlos Vera, brilliant economist: Somebody, also needs to remind me that a real business has books to be kept, taxes to be declared, permits to be filed, GST stuff, all the boring things. He will marry my daughter soon.

And finally, my husband: He is my official translator from English to English (He is English, my portable Shakespeare). He reviews everything I write, so blame him if this is not impeccable English (remember my first language is Spanglish). He is also mastering the art of stretching and framing. It is a wonderful retirement hobby. He happens to be the love of my life.

I forgot Sancho, our four legged best and loyal friend. He is our spoiled rotten English Springer Spaniel.

And in general, there are so many people that have supported us expecting nothing in return, that we have no other choice but to keep this dream going.

Thanks to all!

It is just magic.

No more words, here is the team.

                                                                                                                            

From left to right: Alba, Leonor, Leo and Sancho

 

From left to right: Santiago. Meen / Sancho, and Carlos.

 
NEXT: CHAPTER 8: JUAN PABLO GONZALEZ AMAYA - YOUNG VENEZUELAN ARTIST