Featured Artist: OLGA AYALA

OLGA AYALA

Olga Ayala is an incredible artist with a broad background in many mediums. Her talent has been a form of inspiration that has opened imaginations, stolen hearts and melted barriers.

When I first stumbled upon her work I was truly enamored with her Claymation's and the beauty came as a wonderful gift that was unwrapped piece by piece.

The more I saw her work the greater my admiration grew for her as an artist and a peer. Her individualism was so intense that you see that through her magical hands when she places her spirit and essence upon each piece that she creates.

Olga's love for the arts has been within her since the tender age of 5 when she saw her mother draw of Mickey Mouse on a grocery list. She was immediately bitten by the art bug --the rest is history. As a very young child, Olga dreamed of becoming an artist and set on course to make her dreams a reality. 

She comes from a beautiful background of Puerto Rican ancestors and was born and raised East Harlem, AKA El Barrio: Spanish Harlem in NYC --what she lovingly calls “the rhythm section.” She is the first generation of her family that was born in the states, and therefore considers herself a proud Newyorican!!

Olga's biggest influences have been the  many special people, events, cultures, and, moments over the course of the years of her life. 

Currently a large part of her work is heavily influenced by  reflections of modern and urban society and the customs of Puerto Rican music, dance, and history. Her inspiration stems from the history and roots of the various racial, cultural, and political aspects and traditions that come together to make up modern day Puerto Rico. She is also intrigued with the art and history of ancient cultures from around the world, and finds a lot of fun, humor, and, creativity in pop culture.

She’s experienced in a variety of fine art techniques and since discovering polymer clay in 1997, has been working with it ever since. Her rich Puerto Rican culture, sense of humor, and love of music strongly influence her pieces, as is evident in her work. She believes that art should be something not only to look at, but to touch and interact with. You will find much of her body of work consists of art that is functional as well as decorative.

She also sculpts portraits depicting her subjects, and often times alter egos. She also dabbles in fine and figurative art while integrating her favorite medium, polymer clay, in just about everything she creates. Olga uses a variety of polymer clay techniques in her pieces. You can find her art work showing and selling at various venues nationally and internationally, and in cultural festivals and street fairs throughout the 5 boroughs of her native New York City and in her website:  www.olgaayala.etsy.com

Olga Ayala considers her art style to be eclectic, given the fact that she loves working in mediums that are less likely to have been thought of as art tools. Most people who currently know of her work consider her an artisan; however she has only been creating functional art for the last 16 years. Olga considers herself an artist who just happens to employ functionality in her works.

You can order her designs on her website:  www.olgaayala.etsy.com or contact her via email at olgaamano2@aol.com. 

Featured Artist: RICHARD RAMIREZ

Richard Ramirez
Was born in Manhattan in St Vincent hospital, raised in the Bronx and lives in Puerto Rico.
Living in the Bronx, NY in the '60's he was exposed to a wonderfully colorful environment.

Full of energy and inspiration at every corner. Richard was always interested in the rhythm of life and the beauty of the colors of his everyday environment. His style is remembrance of the peeking interest of the way the colors gave energy to his every stroke. As a young man Richard was working with sketches, markers and pencil. Making commissioned pieces for collectors that love his work and followed his career.

One piece that stands out from that time is the recreation of the cover to "The Stairway To Heaven" album by Led Zeppelin.

Richard loves surreal and abstract art. Growing up in the 60's in the Bronx, He was exposed to a psychedelic world, and loved the hidden messages and subliminal undertones of this type of art.

Richard -"I say Art has to make you think.. most of the time anyway.. I find it to be a stress reliever for me". He has worked with many different and mixed medias. Like gourd art, graphite pencils, markers, oil and acrylic and photography. Richard also ran a tattoo shop in the Bronx for more than 10 yrs. Were he made custom tattoo designs for customers.
Right now his choice of medium is acrylic paints upon gourds. His pieces can be found on canvas, paper and his favorite Organic Gourds.

One of his favorite pieces is "My Guardian Angel" This piece is special to him because it was born of a dream he had when he was about 10 years old. As soon as he awoke he had to sketched it out. Later on when he was older he rendered it on a canvas. Working in oil paints. It was his first real piece of art work . He really felt connected to this piece. During the years he lost it in a move. It was a difficult loss for Richard, because it was a piece that was part of his life and had always had it with him throughout his life. It was the Angel which took care of him.

Richard decided to recreate it again on a new and exciting medium "cardboard".
Meeting a fellow artist Marthalicia Matarrita, who works on cardboard inspired him to do this. By seeing her work, it reminded him of his Angel. So the process of re-painting it with acrylics on cardboard began.

"My Guardian Angel" is still a work in progress and still remains his favorite piece of work simply because it was his piece that was from deep in his conscious mind and transferred itself into a dream.

Richard Ramirez, how would you describe yourself?
Richard: -There is a saying... "We are constantly invited to be who we are" I don't know who wrote this, but I guess it describes me in a way.. I love the challenges life brings me .. and With God in my life I will find a way to fulfill His will in me.

What is your favorite thing to create? Richard -"Gourds, its a medium I found not too many people are doing.. so I keep challenging myself, I love the process, it keeps me grounded and makes me work for a piece of art.

I have to peel, cut and gut this organic matter and then comes the fun part of painting it for someone's pleasure.

I do mostly custom work, I make my gourds to order.. so my clients give me a general Idea of what they want some more specific than others and I create them for them from tiny gourds to giant gourds. It is an amazing career it fills my time and gives me pleasure.

RICHARD RAMIREZ
also endeavors in photography one of his favorite pass times!
Mornings like this prove God is great who else could create such an amazing world!

copyright: nyzstyles PR 2013

Reading

Life has taught me that I am, what I have learned. as the years have gone by, the essence of my spirit has matured and the choices I have made, have made me a little wiser. I used to get so sad about the problems of the world. When ever I saw the news I would weep for the children. for the mothers, the fathers the cousins the uncles. I would weep for the world. Within my sadness I always found my way back to the pages of the books that lined my apartment walls. I never thought of continuing my education, I always felt a lack of desire for being near so many people. The thought of having to sit in class full of people frighten me and made my anxiety reach a boiling point. so it was for that same reason that I made sure that I owned books. I knew that this would be a way of exploring the world and receiving the answers I lacked. Today I wonder what life would be if I didn't have the opportunity to own books. What state of consciousness would I be in. I thank God that I have the freedom and the resources to own a piece of education. I thank all of the many authors that have touch the so many lives with their words. So often I was changed by the beauty of their words, Books shinned light into the darkest moments and shimmered knowledge into my world. Books. How beautiful!