Connect What is your favorite type of art to create?

I enjoy creating all kinds of art but my primary focus is oil painting, specifically because of the intensity of detail I can achieve with this medium. My oil portraits are large - generally 48" by 48" - and I love painting faces and capturing the depth of emotion they hold. Looking closely at some of my pieces, you will see that I tend to incorporate personalized symbols or words, often in the background, which become integral to the texture and character of each piece.

Where do you find inspiration?

My primary source of inspiration has been the pain and suffering of my country, as I am an immigrant, former military, and former political prisoner who fled the dictatorial regime of Venezuela. However, I no longer create political art due to the threats directed against my relatives in Venezuela. No matter what type of art I create, I am also inspired by the love, joy, tears, and smiles of people when I gift or hand them a piece of art, because they take with them a piece of my life.

What would you do with $25,000?

Like many immigrants in this country, I provide for my family back home. I have spent the past five years working as hard as possible to continue doing exactly that, as well as navigating the immigration process. I would use this money to allow for several months away from my day job, focused exclusively on creating art to expand my portfolio and networking with other artists with the goal of establishing my career in the art world and earning a living from what I love.