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Artist, Illustrator, Photographer, Author
Hi World!
I'm Gustavo
I have been an artist my entire life. From my earliest memories, art has been a part of me. While other kids played with toys, a blank piece of paper and a pencil are what captured my imagination. My life has been influenced by colors, from the bright blues and greens of the Caribbean to the fiery reds, yellows and oranges of the Midwest fall foliage.
Photography I enjoy capturing interesting images within objects that others may find common and ordinary. Creating images that entice the viewer through perspective, contrast, color or balance revealing beauty that is easily overlooked.
Illustrations are generally characters from my children’s books or quick sketches of random people I observe. But they always express a whimsical light hearted feel that is the child in me. I use many different mediums, from watercolor to oils, from inks to pencils. I enjoy using mediums as a way to define the characters or the series of illustrations. For over twenty years my illustrations were commissioned for local and national companies, from department stores to ad agencies. Today most of my illustrations are for Professor Gus Books, a children’s book line I have created.
Paintings span from my first oil painting at the early age of ten to more recent works, large installations and wall murals. Painting has always captured my interest. I love creating serious complex works that evoke change as well as fun light hearted paintings. My use of color, strong sense of balance and unique perspective give my paintings an abstract and graphic feel.
The shapes and colors engage the viewer as their eyes dance through the canvas. My paintings and their style can create an impact
or accent to any room.
Personal History
I am a Cuban born artist, raised in Grand Rapids, Michigan. In the early eighties, I expanded my artistic career in Miami, Florida.
I am a Cuban born artist, raised in Grand Rapids, Michigan. In the early eighties, I expanded my artistic career in Miami, Florida.
As an art director in retail advertising, I created work for many of the department stores throughout the country. My work took me to live in the Mid Atlantic as well as the Deep South. Throughout my advertising career I never abandoned my love for creating fine art.
My works have exhibited in Washington, DC., New York, NY., Atlanta, GA., Miami, FL., to name a few.
Over the past twelve years I have exhibited a work of art I named
Fita de Rojas. It is a large 12 x 12 foot installation of 1,296 hand painted portraits. While none of the portraits physically touch they are all connected to a single cancer victim. The connection reaches the entire world. The work is used to create cancer awareness and promote hope through the sharing of cancer stories. You can learn more about "Fita de Rojas" at www.Gustavo8.com. I currently live in Miami,FL, where I have found a new love in writing. I am the author and illustrator of over twenty children’s books, They can be found on Amazon books under my pen name Professor Gus.
The Art Storefronts Organization, which means you can shop with confidence, and know that I stand behind the quality and value of my products.
Fita de Rojas
The connection
The art work that was created to change the viewer. The 1,296 wooden tiles are individually suspended and form a connection to a single cancer victim at the center of the work. Around the center tile
are 143 tiles surrounded by 1,152 people,
together forming a connection that
represent the world.
There are 58 countries, 26 states and
6 continents collected in the work.
Together they represent HOPE.
The process
While the 12 x 12 foot wooden structure where the suspended tiles would live was being built all the 1,296 people were collected. As the images were coming in they were being hand painted by me. After 10 months the concept that came to me in a dream finally complete and up for exhibit in Grand Rapids Mich.
Bellow is a small representation of the style and the detail of the portraits.
The Message
The red overall image is called La Grande Vitesse. A sculpture by Alexander Calder that has become the iconic image for Grand Rapids was used to represent where the Cancer victim chose to live. This was important in the overall work, Grand Rapids was where I was raised. The cancer victim was my mother.
The people in this work represent
the number of people that are diagnosed cancer every 30 minutes.
