Hal Marcus - "Golden Heart Strings" - El Paso, TX

Hal Marcus was born in 1951 in El Paso, Texas. His interest in painting began in high school and developed into a life-long passion of the arts. His sense of color originated from the influences of Mexico where as a child he accompanied his grandmother on weekly visits to the Juarez market.

His early paintings were colorful expressions of a cubistic world of shapes within shapes. His art started to reflect the environment in which he lived. The people, streets and mountains began to show up in his works of art, and made people proud of their community along the border. Marcus began to publish cards, posters and calendars which he sold door-to-door. These works became cultural icons for the community.

Many of his best known works express local and global themes derived from his experiences. Hal Marcus' self-taught folk-art style has become main stream in the isolated art community along the Rio Grande.

His entrepreneurial pursuits have led him to collaborate with hundreds of institutions creating images for worthy causes. Marcus has been the recipient of many honors including being inducted into the El Paso Artists Hall of Fame and serving on the Advisory Board of the El Paso Museum of Art.

His works are found in numerous public, private and corporate collections throughout the world.

Francisco Romero - "La Oracion (The Prayer)" - El Paso, TX

Francisco Romero was born in 1958 in Cd. Juarez, Chihuahua, Mexico. At the early age of 6, he started drawing cartoon magazines that were on display in the newspaper stands in the streets of Juarez. Painting and music was an integral part of his everyday life throughout his school years.

Francisco graduated from the University of Juarez achieving a degree in interior and graphic design. Immigrating to the United States made a very significant change in his life because he has been able to exhibit his work and mature as an artist in his own right. Many people know Francisco Romero through artwork and subsequent, prints graciously created for numerous nonprofit organizations.

His use of color is vibrant and aggressive. He has been inspired by the works of Fernando Botero and Diego Rivera. His themes frequently protray numerous social situtations reflecting his love for Mexico. His subjects reflect his experiences with family, friends and his early years in Mexico.

Francisco Romero is well known throughout the El Paso, Juarez, Las Cruces area. He has had successful exhibits throughout the region. His works of art are included in local, regional, national, and international collections.

Tomi LaPierre - "The Magic of Words" - Las Cruces, NM

Tomi LaPierre is a sculpture from Las Cruces, New Mexico. Below you can find a few words from her about her work:

"Sculpture is my primary art expression. My background is technical in nature and over the years has turned to the human form. Most of my work is of people with great body language and expression, or an abstract of the same. I am qualified in Forensic Facial Reconstruction and find the human face and form the most extensive pallet imaginable."

Nicholas Munoz - "Spring Love" - El Paso

Nicholas Munoz is back and better than ever. His heart, "Spring Love" is the perfect addition to our Toma Mi Corazon Heart Auction. A UTEP graduate, Nicholas currently works at the El Paso Museum of Art. Come out to the event and see his beautiful piece firsthand.

Judy Bess - "After the Rain" - Las Cruces, NM

Why do I paint? I want the paint tubes in my artist box to spill out on the canvas and let the viewer see and feel my joy in attempting to capture the stunning beauty of the Southwest! I love to work with acrylics because the colors are so rich, and their quick-drying capability lets me work spontaneously -- whether it is to show a dramatic cloud pattern, a glorious mountain sunset, or the swirling skirts of a folklorico dancer. I have been told I am a "colorist" and I believe that is true. This region of the country has such bold colors - why not boldly celebrate them?!

After retiring from a 34-year career spent in the education and corporate worlds, and moving to New Mexico, I returned to my first love: painting. I could hardly wait to get started. But I wanted to prepare myself, because over the years spent in business, I had done only a few artistic activities, which include illustrating a child's book and doing program covers for civic organizations. I took seminars from two prominent local artists, learning new brushwork techniques and how to handle the acrylic medium. When I see the beauty of the mountains, experience the desert wildflowers after a rain, or enjoy a fiesta, I am reminded that everywhere one looks in the borderland, there is a painting ready to create. What a bounty for artists!

I am delighted to have been juried into two galleries, and am thrilled to know that my work is in numerous private collection in the US and Europe. I paint for my own enjoyment and satisfaction, but there is nothing like knowing that others like my work well enough to bring it into their homes and their lives. This is the true gift an artist receives from their clients!

--Judy Bess

Barbara McLain - "Doing the Kitty Twist" - El Paso, TX

This is Barbara McLain's first time participating in our event, and we could not be happier to have her on board. Her piece, "Doing the Kitty Twist", is a whimsical and bright piece that would be perfect for someone who loves beautiful flowers or for an avid cat lover.

Charlie Mayer - "La Familia" - El Paso

Charlie Mayer, El Paso photographer, has once again agreed to participate in our upcoming 10th Annual Toma Mi Corazon Heart Auction. We are so excited to have him, and a number of other returning artists, participate in our big event. Charlie's heart, "La Familia", captures the life and happiness of a number of families, and hopefully will catch you heart.

Amado Pena - "Mestizo Series: Los Novios" - Sante Fe, NM

Canyon de Chelley, Monument Valley, Spider Rock, Enchanted Mesa, Acoma, Black Mesathese are names that evoke an aura of mystery and hint at the birth of legends. These sites are part of an enduring, rugged landscape that speaks of the ancient heritage of a region known as Arizona and New Mexico. This land, the pwople who live there and their native crafts, are the threads in a rich cultural tapestry that is the inspiration for the works of Amado M. Pena, Jr. Using this trilogy and imagery, Pena studies the interrelation and integration of these entities, giving each equal importance. Pena, a mestizo of Mexican and Yaqui ancestry, celebrates the strength of a people who meet the harsh realities of life in an uncompromising land and his work is a tribute to these Native Americans who survive by living in harmony with an adversarial, intamed environment.

Using bold color, form and the dynamics of composition, Pena communicates his vision of a land, a people, and their art. He is a prolific artist with restless, creative energy that keeps him at work in his studios in Santa Fe and Austin. The drama of his paintings is heightened by an intensity of hue and unexpected spatial relationships.

Although his admirers come from different cultures and traditions, from all ages and parts of the world, the strength of his vision crosses such boundaries and speaks to them of hope, endurance and the unconquerable dignity of man. These are the qualities that are etched into the faces of Amado Pena's art.

Bob Adams - "Big Heart Motors" - El Paso, TX

Primarily self-taught, Bob Adams is an active member of the Plein Aire Painters of El Paso. He states that the more he paints and the more he challendes himself, the more his work improves. "It is important that wherever you paint, you need to paint as often as possible in order to grow as an artist."

Collectors of Adams' work are especially intrigued by his diversity of subject matter and medium. He is most comfortable working in acrylics, but he has also mastered watercolor, oils and pastel.

Adams' works are in private collections in Texas, New Mexico, Oklahoma, New York, Florida, Minnesota, Wisconsin, California, Kansas and Chihuahua, Mexico.