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!

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