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ARTWORK
Who
is the little man that sits in a chair on top of the
bureau in your pictures?
"He
is Don Pedrito Jaramillo, curandero from Falfurrias,
Texas. He died in 1907 and is buried near the town."
The
scene in your painting Bed
for Dreams is identical to one in the movie Selena
that was written and directed by Gregory Nava. Had he
seen your painting before making the movie?
"There
is a direct connection from the Selena film to my painting
Bed for Dreams. Mr. Nava invited me to come down to
L.A. and present a slide lecture for him and his film
crew after seeing my art work in my children's books.
Chicano Art inspired Mr. Nava in the creation of his
other films. Since I am from Texas as was Selena he
felt my artwork was a perfect source of ideas for scenes,
the most recogonizable being the Bed for Dreams."
How
did you and your sister get on top of your roof?
"Here is a clue: The leaves and tendrils of the
watermelons crawl up and lead you there."
Your paintings Sandia
/ Watermelon and Cakewalk
have been the subject of much discussion. These pieces
are wonderful jumping off points for discussing different
cultures and families. Our school population is a huge
ethnic mix, the primary being South East Asian. Looking
at Cakewalk
it was noted many subjects were wearing hats including
the young lady on the crutches. The students were wondering
why the hats and did the young lady on crutches loose
a leg in some type of conflict? Perhaps the conflict
question stems from many of these being the children
of war refugees.
"The hats are caps that the American GI Forum members
(Mexican American World War II veterans, their wives
and other supporters) use during organization functions.
The caps are flat, made of wool cloth and are of the
same shape as those worn by the USA military like the
air force and the army.
The lady with one leg is Matilde, the owner of the store
and also a member of the American GI Forum. We did not
know how she lost her leg and our parents said it was
not polite to ask. We hardly noticed because she was
fun to talk with and she always rewarded us with a free
candy when we went to her store on errands for our parents."
I
am a college student looking for information about one
of your artworks "El Milagro." I have looked
on your web site and found no information regarding
it. Basically I am looking for your reason for painting
it, the definition and description of the painting.
If no such information is available, I will appreciate
at least a web site or book that I can look at since
I have a presentation on it and I have nothing to show.
“My children’s book “In
My Family” has “El Milagro” and even
though it is a children’s book it will give you
the basic information you asked for plus you can us
it in your presentation.”
BOOKS
Where can I buy your books locally or do you sell your
books?
"Your favorite book store will order books for
you if you do not want to order them yourself from the
publishers. You can also order from an Internet bookseller
web site such as Amazon.com. I do not sell the books
directly."
When is your next book coming out?
"It takes me several years to paint enough images
for one book. Usually the books contain 13 to 15 paintings.
Each painting takes from 3 to 9 months to complete."
Will you autograph my copies of your books, photos,
or autograph books?
"I autograph my books and posters at specially
arranged book signings in museums exhibiting my artwork
or where ever I am lecturing."
What awards and honors have your books received?
“The awards are listed in my BIOGRAPHY
under CHILDRENS BOOK
AWARDS AND HONORS.”
Which books do you recommend reading for more information
about your artwork?
Chicano Visions : American Painters on the Verge
by Cheech Marin
POSTERS
Do you sell the posters? Where can I get your posters
locally?
"Contact Mediodia Productions (see publications
page) to place an order or contact the book store
in the museums that have exhibited my artwork. I do
not sell the posters directly."
Do you have any other posters besides those listed
on your web site?
"The only posters available are those listed in
my web site."
DONATIONS
Will you give copies of your books / posters to our
school?
"I wish I had a large inventory of books and posters
that I could give away but I do not. If I want copies
of my own books I have to buy them from the publisher
and pay for shipping."
Will you donate an artwork for our fundraising art
auction?
"Very frequently I am often asked for donations
of my art work by all kinds of organizations and worthy
special causes. I am honored that people want my artwork
but I can not afford to donate to every request since
sales of my artwork is my main source of income. In
addition most people do not realize that when an artist
donates artwork the full value of the artwork is not
deductible from their income taxes, only the cost of
the materials is deductible such as canvas, paper, etc.
I prefer to donate artwork to the permanent collection
of museums. This insures that many people will enjoy
the donation."
LECTURES &
EXHIBITIONS
Will you visit our elementary, middle, or high school?
"After my first children's book was published I
visited many schools for several years and meet many
wonderful children and teachers. Unfortunately I had
very little time and energy left to work in my studio
and came to the conclusion that I had to stop the visits.
Making that decision was very difficult because I saw
how much the children enjoyed my visit. Creating new
artwork takes time, concentration and careful scheduling
to allow time for visits relating to my professional
art career. The same reasons prompted my decision to
not participate in email correspondence projects."
Will you lecture/exhibit your artwork at our conference/
university? Will you come to our special event?
"Invitations to exhibit at a conference, university
gallery or museum will be carefully considered and evaluated
for adequate coverage of the expenses for crating, shipping,
insurance, security, documentation, professional installation,
artist fee, and advance scheduling time. Please send
your email at least 12 months in advance.
Invitations to lecture at universities, teacher conferences
or professional conferences on art, education, or Latino
issues are welcome. These audiences are the ones who
will carry the heart of my artwork to the next generation
of children and can reach many more children than I
can in person. Please include as much information as
possible in your email and allow one month for a reply.
Send invitations at least 10 - 12 months in advance
of the date for the slide lecture."
FINE PRINTS
Do you sell fine prints of images other than those listed
for sale on your web site?
"I have been creating fine lithograph prints based
on my existing paintings as a way to make my artwork
available to first time collectors. The process is time
consuming and expensive which is why not all my images
have been made into lithographs prints. The fine prints
listed on this web site are the only available prints."
My
wife and I have admired your art from the first time
we ever saw it about 15 years ago. I felt very lucky
to be able to purchase a lithographic print of "Camas
para sueños". At the time, in the same gallery,
"Tamalada" was also available, but I didn't
have enough money to buy both. I have always hoped to
find another one for sale. I was wondering if this print
is still available? If not, do you know a gallery that
might have one for sale? Thanks very much. Your work
sustains me on bad days and delights me on good ones.
It means a lot.
"When collectors express an interest in a particular
lithograph print I advise not delaying collecting the
print because the prints continue to sell. The price
always goes up as there are fewer prints left in the
limited edition. "Tamalada" sold out many
years ago and not one collector has expressed an interest
in selling more. The first prints sold for $350. The
value in the year 2003 for a "Tamalada" print
in excellent condition is about $3,000.00."
The
digital giclée print "Tamalada 2003"
arrived in perfect condition, and is a joy to behold.
The colors are vivid, the image is sharp and its size
commands a presence. Are you printing giclées
of your other paintings such as the “Quinceañera”?
“The most important aspect of producing an excellent
giclée print of a painting is to have the original
painting scanned with a high resolution camera in a
master print shop. This is not an easy task when I don’t
own the painting anymore or it is in a traveling exhibition.
My goal is to print the most frequently requested images
and the “Quinceañera” is on my list.”
COMMISSIONS
& ILLUSTATIONS
Do you do portraits or other private commissioned
artwork?
"I prefer the freedom to paint my own ideas which
is why I am not a portrait painter. Occasionally I will
accept a commission to paint in oils one of my images
based on a painting that I have already done in gouache
paints (opaque watercolors). Check the ART page to see
which images are available for commission. Paintings
already done in oil will not be done in gouache."
Do you do public art commissions?
"Yes if the project has an adequate budget, if
my schedule permits, and if the theme calls for the
specific type of artwork that I create."
Do
you illustrate other author's stories? Will you illustrate
my manuscript so I can submit it to a publisher?
"I prefer to spend my time doing artwork for my
own books."
BIOGRAPHICAL
INFORMATION
What was the one single thing that made you know
at 13 you wanted to be an artist for the rest of your
life?
"Attending junior high school for the first time
reminded me of my parents advice. My parents always
encouraged us to think about what we wanted to be when
we grew up. It was mandatory that we finish public school
and go to college. I enjoyed creating art since I first
saw my mother painting when I was about 8 years old.
She inspired me to become an artist and my father supported
my goal and encouraged me to also study teaching."
Will you tell us more about yourself? Will you answer
my list of questions for a class report?
"Grade school students working on a report should
read my children's books listed on the publications
page and other publications listed in the bibliography.
Look into the research
links for more information. Some answers to the
most frequently asked questions are available on this
web site."
Will you be the subject of my thesis and grant me
an interview?
"University graduate students who have taken full
advantage of all that is offered on other web sites
and researched in libraries (including inter-library
loan systems) and still need more information may write
to me with specific questions. If my schedule permits
I will reply by email to arrange an appointment for
a telephone interview to answer your questions. Allow
at least 6 weeks for a reply to your initial request."
PUBLISHING
& MARKETING ADVICE
Will you tell me how to publish my story for children?
"Novice writers can find good books on how to publish
by looking in the public library and book stores. Ask
the librarian for recommendations. Contact publishers
and ask them for information on publishing procedures.
Also search on the Internet."
Will you tell me if my idea for a story is good? Will
you read my manuscript and give me your opinion?
"While I am flattered that you want me to read
your manuscript my work schedule does not permit it.
Ask your friends and relatives to read it and give you
opinions then move on to professionals who make it their
business to review manuscripts. Keep writing."
Will you tell me how to sell my artwork?
"There are many good books on marketing art. You
can start with How to Survive & Prosper as an
Artist: Selling yourself without selling your soul
by Caroll Michels. It contains an excellent list of
resources.
COPYRIGHTS
Do you own the copyrights to your artwork and do
you permit publishers to reproduce the artwork?
"I own the copyrights to the artwork. Please send
an initial inquiry by email and I will respond with
a list of questions that will help me formulate the
licensing letter and determine the fee."
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