What do I want to express with my work?
Well, I always try to go deeply into myself, searching for the equilibrium, the simplicity – to show just the basic element. I express myself through objects, elements, figures, different situations, feelings, balance, meditation and self-reflection. I want to express peace and quietness, and for this, when I began painting, I painted the female form and femininity. Women give to me that peacefulness, sensibility, sexuality, and the maternal instinct. All of this stirs my emotions and provokes the need in me to transmit my feelings on canvas. I want to make people understand that my figures are not just a woman – but a feeling of love, peace and shyness. In order to get that feeling my models never look directly at the observer, they have the eyes semi-closed in a way that maintains her discretion and intimacy…..her feeling of privacy.
I spent most nights working in my studio, a short distance away from my home. My work could have been classed as too academic up until 1978 when an important event occurred for me that changed my style of painting – the birth of my first daughter and following that two more children in 1981 and 1986.
At this time the economy was not in a good state, and in Spain it was often said that “Hunger sharpens inventiveness”. This was certainly true for me. I had to economize with materials and thus I began to work with oils in a way that I had previously only worked with watercolors (this greatly developed my style of painting). I applied the oil with rags, stumps or capes that were usually only used to varnish or polish the furniture. I used the color very diluted with trementine essence, applying and eliminating it, and letting the paint dry many times over. This is how my technique began. Although it was purely an economical decision to paint in this way back then, this is now not a cheap way for me to paint. It is actually the opposite. I am not able to use a normal canvas; I have to prepare it first. Also, the pigment of my oils have to be pure and of the highest quality.
I believe that artists live their work intensely. It’s their passion 24 hours a day and is a way of life rather than a job. And, as time goes by this passion sharpens and improves the quality of the work more and more. I think that when the inspiration comes, it is better that it reaches you while you are working in the studio.
With regards to the routine of a regular day, I constantly have a notebook with me to take impressions and notes that cross my mind during the day. This helps me see the development through my drawings. From this notebook I can see that I bounce around the same ideas and have the same intentions for my paintings all the time even though I may not know it at the time.
My works of art are food for thought. Combinations of emotions are reflected in my paintings. Work is such an important part of my life because, for me, there are still a lot of things to discover and learn.