AVANCE's 10th Annual Toma Mi Corazon

Dee Olga MinYoung-Phillips, "Family Tree" - El Paso, TX

2011-01-31T09:41:00.000-08:00

Cil Abeyta, "Butterfly Beauty" - El Paso, TX

2011-01-31T09:37:00.000-08:00

Cil Abeyta a Native El Pasoan..has loved drawing and painting since very young ...works in pastel,acrylic and watercolor. Started in charcoal ....belongs to the EPPAA and the Rio Bravo Watercolorists. Entered her first show... EPAA Western Reflections and won an award.

Corinne Abeyta-Spinnler, "Mother Mary" - El Paso, TX

2011-01-31T09:28:00.000-08:00

Born in El Pas, Texas, Corinne is a multi-media artist working in oils, water colors, pastels, and acrylics. Her style is bold and vibrant with a passion for color which creates luminous and expressive florals and landscapes which are her favorite to paint. Corinne has studied at the University of Texas El Paso, and the El Paso Community College and over twenty-five art workshops throughout the United States. Corinne has won numerous competitive awards for her artist endeavors. During 2006 four of her works traveled to the Department of the interior Museum in Washington, D.C. as part of a larger Plein Air Exhibit. Her works hang in private and corporate collections both at home and abroad.

Carmen Navar, "Bird Series" - El Paso, TX

2011-01-31T09:16:00.000-08:00

Linda Hains, "Heart Mirror" - El Paso, TX

2011-01-28T13:21:00.000-08:00

I began painting as a child - coloring everything in sight. I went through coloring books,crayons ans water colors as fast as could be. As i grew older the world came more into my awareness. I continued to create as much as i could all the time - just whatever came into mind. Creativity, for me, is the world in motion. I always work from imagination. I have worked in choreography (dance), drawing, painting and sculpture. I am very interested in movement, color, placement and form. The image are kinetic, something visual in the mind, a motion that falls into time. My Sculptures and Dances needed drawings, both are three dimensional forms on a flat surface - one an illustration, one a diagram. The diagrams became ritualistic. I was drawn to the act of creating art - letting to hand flow forward. Drawing became the fastest way to capture the ideas. I combined the ideas involved in the making of Sand paintings and Yantra's and the paintings of Jackson Pollack and CY Twombly. At one point the marks i was required a form or shape to surround them. I proceeded to place myself on the paper and used the tracing of my body as a basis for the drawing. This very act seemed to meld all the different facets of creating into one. Drawing, Movement and Sculpture consolidated itself into the form of Painting. working mostly on the floor, I use the square format as a dance space. I place my body in the square and feel the movement wander. I am very interested in improvisation, the surprise of letting the motion go through my body mind and out onto the canvas. Everything is spur of the moment, related to energy, time, season, spirit and the Joy of making marks. Being physically involved with the work is very important. Dance is a good form of communication because it is instant. You are taken through it visually and abstractly. Latter it because it becomes a memory, like a dream. I enjoy the feeling of movement on the body, the feeling of being alive and having strong sensations. I imagine myself as a slight ball of energy dancing on the earth. I work at portraying this - not just the image but the sensation. Floating feelings, Heavy feelings, Falling feelings, Light feelings and Swirling feelings - My work stems from these sensations mingling with each other. The painting are named as actions; shift Lost, Stop Shock. They describe movement, actions, emotion and sensations both mentally and visually.

Ana E. Guerrero, "When Pigs Fly" - El Paso, TX

2011-01-28T13:17:00.001-08:00

Michael Bray, "Love is the Nectar of Life" - El Paso, TX

2011-01-28T13:09:00.000-08:00

Patsy Torres, "Nuestra Señora" - El Paso, TX

2011-01-28T13:08:00.000-08:00

Luis Aguirre, - New York, NY

2011-01-28T13:05:00.000-08:00

Manuel Aguirre, "Arlequin del Amor" - Cd. Juarez, Chihuahua

2011-01-27T09:45:00.000-08:00

Katie Foss, "Looking Ahead" - El Paso, TX

2011-01-27T09:36:00.001-08:00

Harry Assad, "Love for Laura" - El Paso, TX

2011-01-27T09:34:00.000-08:00

Liz Thurmond, "Contradictions" - El Paso, TX

2011-01-26T08:57:00.001-08:00

Ana Cecilia Bray, - El Paso, TX

2011-01-25T12:59:00.000-08:00

Love from the Garden

True Love is a Friendship set on Fire!

Rene Nevarez,- El Paso, TX

2011-01-24T15:29:00.000-08:00

The familiar heart-shape is so ubiquitous that it is a real challenge to create a piece that does not fall flat or comes off as trite. Yet that is precisely the challenge presented by AVANCE. This piece uses the wooden heart provided in a slightly more conceptual way without ditching the heart all together. The wooden heart was used to form the wire around, creating a negative space that depicts the heart on and serves well for forming. This piece is a second edition of a heart that was in a competition about ten years ago. It is made of concrete, sterling silver wire with patina, garnets and zirconia. The heart rises from a crack in the concrete much the same way grass grows resiliently from a crack in the sidewalk. The sharp prongs were handmade and protects its fruits or seeds. The sterling silver has real value and not simply perceived value. The piece reflects the resiliency of the people that go through AVANCE's doors. This is the heart on which the metal was formed. It was charred with a torch -a tribute to the soldering necessary assemble the various parts of silver.

Pat Foss, "God's Creation" - El Paso, TX

2011-01-21T10:34:00.000-08:00

Kelly Foss, "You're the One that I Want" - El Paso, TX

2011-01-21T10:19:00.000-08:00

Born on 1985 on the coast of Georgia, Kelly grew up in New Mexico and Vermont, and now calls El Paso home. Due to her father's work with the goverment, the family had great opportunities to move around, exposing her to different cultures, communities and characters. As a self-taught specializing in portraiture, she has had a one-woman art show at the Lincoln Center, and has shown yearly with the Mexican Consulate's "Mujeres Sin Fronteras" exhibit. Kelly shows continually at the at the Hal Marcus Gallery (where she has worked since 2005). Her painting of Pancho Villa (from her Mex. Revolution Series) appears on the cover of a Mexican History Book. Numerous private collections contain Kelly Foss' art; over 9 US States and also in Japan.

Representative Emma Acosta, " El Paso Shines Day or Nite! " - El Paso, TX

2011-01-20T13:44:00.000-08:00

Karla Zanelli, "Young at Heart" - El Paso, TX

2011-01-20T13:34:00.000-08:00

Karla Zanelli has been creating Geometric/Abstract/COOL designs from early childhood. Elements throughout her work are linear and circular motifs, with various modern forms also playing a part. Her pieces are clean, structure yet fun, with a lively color palette. With a graphic design background, she creates each pieces with a clear vision and takes great care in their strict execution. She invites the viewer to see her paintings as something different, something beautiful, something to remember.

Cecilio Saucedo, "Margarita con Sal...or...Play the Lottery Another Day" - El Paso, TX

2011-01-20T13:28:00.000-08:00

Victoria R. Groening, "Happiness" - El Paso, TX

2011-01-20T10:59:00.000-08:00

Victoria Groening is an artist, graphic designer, and educator. Art has always been her passion. There was never a doubt that she wanted to pursue an artistic career. She earned her BFA at the University of Texas at Arlington with a concentration in graphic design. She moved back to El Paso from the Dallas/Ft. Worth area five years ago. Victoria resides in Anthony, New Mexico but still maintains her El Pasoan status because El Paso is and always will be her home. While still freelancing as a graphic designer, she recently began a different adventure in teaching. Victoria is currently the art teacher at Delta Academy for the El Paso independent School District. Working in a variety of mediums from the last year she has begun to donate and show her fine art work publicly.

Doug Pullen, - El Paso, TX

2011-01-20T10:48:00.000-08:00

Abstract Heart Art

Stephanie Conroy, - El Paso, TX

2011-01-20T10:18:00.000-08:00

Heart of The Countryside

Heart of Gold

This Old Heart of Mine

Victor M. Muheddine, - El Paso, TX

2011-01-20T10:04:00.000-08:00

To Live Life

Nacho L. Garcia Jr., - El Paso, TX

2011-01-20T09:55:00.001-08:00

Melinda Etzold, - El Paso, TX

2011-01-20T09:49:00.000-08:00

Delilah Gonzalez, - El Paso, TX

2011-01-20T09:42:00.000-08:00

Labios de Amor

Pepita de Oro

Rigoberto R. De La Mora, - El Paso, TX

2011-01-20T09:28:00.000-08:00

Oh-Oh!..That's All Some Could

One of those Beautiful Moments

Veva Gutierrez, "Los Lagartos del Paso"- El Paso, TX

2011-01-08T12:43:00.000-08:00

Tina Yetter Jones, "My Heart Skips a Beat" - El Paso, TX

2011-01-08T12:41:00.000-08:00

Sherry Doil-Carter - Las Cruces, NM

2011-01-08T12:39:00.000-08:00

Sherry Doil-Carter is a storyteller—telling stories of the human experience, her experience and those that are universal. She tries to add another layer to timeless questions—the questions we all ask for which there is no answer. Her works are narratives for the spiritual experience that translate to metaphors for the human experience.

She interprets the color as a connection between herself and the Divine. She uses any media to express the spiritual emotions she feels. Placing rusty metal next to gold leaf implies the ideas of the man-God connection, the ephemeral versus the ethereal.

Sharon Courtney, "Luz de Dia" - Las Vegas, NV

2011-01-08T12:38:00.000-08:00

Romy Saenz-Hawkins, "Angels" - El Paso, TX

2011-01-08T12:36:00.000-08:00

Peggi Kroll-Roberts, "Let Kids Be Kids" - Angels Camp, CA

2011-01-08T12:34:00.000-08:00

Award winning artist, Peggi Kroll-Roberts, was trained at Arizona State University and the Art Center College of Design in Pasadena, CA. Peggi worked as a fashion and advertising illustrator before making the transition into fine art. Using intense color and value to accentuate her subject, she moved into fine art with a bold palette, a love for small paintings and a very loose style that achieves a lot with a few very energetic brush strokes. She prefers to suggest reality than render it.

Inspired by her children she paints beach scenes and other aspects of their lives. She also breaks away from the conventional still life by painting scenes of cosmetics and the occasional coffee cup or slab of butter. Peggi's work gives us a new appreciation of our own daily life.

Maritza Neely, "Viva El Paso Heart" - El Paso, TX

2011-01-08T12:33:00.000-08:00

Mario Gutierrez, "Iron Man's Heart" - El Paso, TX

2011-01-08T12:31:00.000-08:00

Maria C. Appelzoller - Albuquerque, NM

2011-01-08T12:27:00.000-08:00

Vanessa Munoz, "Embrace" - El Paso, TX

2011-01-07T21:36:00.000-08:00

Vanessa Munoz is a native El Pasoan. She received her degree from UTEP; she has a Bachelor's of Fine Art in graphic design with a minor in drawing. She spent a year working for a private art education company in Pasadena, California. Mrs. Munoz is currently a certified art teacher and is teaching art at Horendo Middle School, in EPISD.

Sarai Chavez, "Untitled" - El Paso, TX

2011-01-07T21:33:00.000-08:00

Sarai Chavez received her BA in Art with a specialization in painting and a minor in French from the University of Texas at El Paso. She was accepted to La Sorbonne and spent a semester studying painting and french literature in Paris, France. She is currently teaching sixth, seventh, and eighth grade art at Hornedo Middle School and working on her Masters in Art Education.

Lorenza de la Trinidad, "Pieces of El Paso, In My Heart" - El Paso, TX

2011-01-07T21:32:00.002-08:00

Lily Limon, "La Virgencita" - El Paso, TX

2011-01-07T21:32:00.001-08:00

We are thrilled to have Lily Limon, AVANCE Board Member, participating in this year's heart auction. Her piece, "La Virgencita" is a mixed media piece worth coming out to see.

Lidia Gonzalez, "La Muralla" - El Paso, TX

2011-01-07T21:29:00.000-08:00

Lidia Cervantes, "We Love the US Flag" - El Paso, TX

2011-01-07T21:28:00.000-08:00

Kathy Ivey, "Angel Fire" - Tornillo, TX

2011-01-07T21:27:00.000-08:00

Judy Crumley, "Jack's Graduation Day" - El Paso, TX

2011-01-07T21:25:00.002-08:00

Pablo Jasso, "El Sol es el Corazon de El Paso" - El Paso, TX

2011-01-07T21:25:00.001-08:00

Pablo Jasso is a fine arts teacher at Bel Air High School where he makes art on a really big scale. He build stage sets for the Tarten Theatre Troupe, teaching his kids how to create visually convincing scenery. He loves Mexican folk art and has created numerous wood sculptures, nichos, and ofertas. he has also appeared in many local stage productions and commercials, and teaches Stagecraft at El Paso Community College.

Laura Jasso, "Always There" - El Paso, TX

2011-01-07T21:21:00.000-08:00

Laura Jasso teaches art at Brown Middle School, passing on her love of art to her students. She has exhibited work at UTEP and City Hall and has created props and backdrops for local commercials. She loves Mexican folk art, surrealism and the work of Peter Max.

Michael Pace - El Paso, TX

2011-01-07T21:11:00.001-08:00

From Michael Pace: "Born and raised in El Paso, this is my second year participating in the heart auction. Since I can remember, I have always been intrigued by the aspect of recreating the world around me. Through the years, I always found time to draw, paint, sketch, design and shoot photography on a somewhat regular basis. I was even an art major at UTEP at one time and majored in sculpture with Willie Ray Parish. I have now set up what I'd like to think is a permanent studio where I work and build my portfoloio to start presenting it to galleries for exhibit. My photography and some of my designs may be viewed at FineArtAmerica.com."

Amor y Harmonia No. 1 & 2

Manuel Alvarado, "The Endearing Young Kitten" - El Paso, TX

2011-01-07T21:07:00.000-08:00

From Manuel Alvarado: "I have been interested in art since I was 13 years old. In high school, I enrolled in art classes, but most of the time I have been self taught, reading art books, also I have taken art classes from Mr. Manny Guerra (artist) and also from Mr. Mario Parra (artist). My art works consist of subjects of animals, landscapes, and some portraits. The main media I use is charcoal, water color, acrylic, oils and pyrography (wood burning). My main line of work was air conditioning and maintenance repairs at Providence Memorial Hospital for 35 years."

Kathryn Johnson, "Yucca Sunset" - El Paso, TX

2011-01-07T21:00:00.000-08:00

Kathryn Johnson was born and raised in Great Bend, KS. She studied art and mathematics at Fort Hays State University in Hays, KS, where she received a BS in Education in 1971. After moving to El Paso in 1973 so that her husband Jerry could enter the graduate program in Biology at UTEP, she continued her teaching career, specializing in mathematics. They have 2 sons and 3 grandchildren with whom she enjoys spending time.

After 33 years of teaching, she retired from EPISD and resumed her interest in art by taking several art courses under "master" Anne James Massey, the late Catherine Kistenmacher, Clarissa Adair, Julie Caffee-Cruz, Atalo Mendez, Rosario Ponte and Ruben Rodarte.

Her primary media include acrylic, oil and watercolor. She enjoys painting a variety of subjects, including animals, colorful desert sunsets, flowers, old trucks and buildings, and aouthwestern scenery. She is grateful to her family and friends who supply her with frequent photographs, from which she obtains much of her art inspiration. She strives for realism in her work and often takes several weeks to achieve the details portrayed in her paintings. She is kept busy because many of her paintings are commissioned pieces; mostly detailed pet portraits that are often mistaken for photographs.

As a working artist, she is a member of the El Paso Art Association, the Grandview Artist Group, and the Osher Lifelong Learning Institute at UTEP. She has shown her work at Framing Concepts and Gallery and the Sunland Art Gallery.

Judith John, "Heartea Partea" - El Paso, TX

2011-01-07T20:59:00.000-08:00

Francisco Romero - El Paso, TX

2011-01-07T20:58:00.000-08:00

Janis Johnston, "Visions of the Soul" - El Paso, TX

2011-01-07T20:19:00.000-08:00

Jan Whitebear Dobrin - Santa Fe, NM

2011-01-07T20:13:00.000-08:00

Jan was born on Long Island, NY and grew up in Southern California. She was taught oil painting as a child by her Great-Grandfather, Arthur W. Litts. A member of the Iroquois Nation, Litts (“Whitebear”) practiced law in California and was known as an accomplished painter of seascapes and landscapes. Having lived in California, Japan, Hawaii and Santa Fe, Jan has been exposed to diverse aesthetic influences. In addition to encaustics, she also works in acrylics, French dye on silk and oils. Her subject matter originates from dreams and imaginings, while her work contains elements of abstract as well as realistic influences. Whatever the mode, her paintings are marked by a unique combination of color, image and texture. After a 30+ year absence from Santa Fe, Jan moved back in 2007. She lives, she dreams and paints in Santa Fe, NM.

Tobacco Leaf Morning

Ties

Jack Lantz, "Untitled" - El Paso, TX

2011-01-07T20:11:00.000-08:00

Lawrence Barrett, "The Dreaming City" - El Paso, TX

2011-01-07T20:07:00.000-08:00

Lawrence Barrett is a native Marylander who has spent his life writing poetry and soldiering all over the world. Lawrence is retired from a 20-year stint in the US Army where he traveled to such lovely getaway spots as Bosnia and Iraq. He has an MA from Webster University and has resided in El Paso for the last 10 years. Lawrence frequents El Paso's local poetry readings and open-mics as well as other venues across the southwest. He is author of Letters from the Meat Market of Paradise; Ah, Desolation!; Yell Louder Please; and No Breaks I'm Crashing. Lawrence is married to a local El Paso artist, and from time to time, experiments with creating artistic designs.

Gigi Bonilla, "Our Weeping Sister" - El Paso, TX

2011-01-07T20:04:00.000-08:00

Gigi was born in Leon, Mexico. Her family moved oftern as she lived in a number of different Mexican cities while growing up. Gigi has resided in El Paso for the last 15 years. She has a degree in Business Administration from the University of Phoenix and is a full time restaurant manager. She is married to a local poet/artist. In her spare time, she loves cycling, traveling and painting. Gigi is most often inspired by nature and the events around her.

Gerardo Chavez, "Toma Mi Corazon" & "The Prayer" - El Paso, TX

2011-01-07T20:02:00.000-08:00

Gerardo Chavez is a 21-year old self-taught artist who paints as a hobby. He is a full-time student at UTEP majoring in Biology; his dream is to have a double major as a doctor and an artist. He started to paint three years ago when he took a short but inspiring art class at Cathedral High School where he graduated from. Only a year ago did he learn by himslef to use oil paint and now dedicates his art exclusively to oils. This year he has been exhibiting his art for the first time at Hal Marcus Gallery and the International Museum of Art and has won an award in his first juried exhibition at Arts International. In his hearts, he has painted his own hands holding a heart entitled "Toma Mi Corazon" and a reproduction of a painting from 19th century artist William Adolphe Bouguereau entitled "The Prayer". He gets his inspiration from the old Masters and the events and people around him. He wil keep practicing different techniques until he is able to paint his masterpiece.

Gabi Urias, "Milagros" - El Paso, TX

2011-01-07T19:58:00.000-08:00

Gabriela Urias is a graduate of UTEP with a bachelor’s degree in Sociology. Gabi works in acrylics, watercolors and oils. She has studied under known artists in El Paso and in Mexico. She has exhibited in collective shows in the Museo de Arqueologia del Chamizal, the Centro Cultural de la Ciudad , the El Paso Museum of Art, Hal Marcus Gallery, EPAA Gallery and the El Paso International Museum of Art . Gabi is a member of Rio Bravo Watercolorists and El Paso Art Association, currently chairperson for RBW’s Annual Art Exhibit and curator for OLLI’s art exhibit LOS MAYORES.

Elizabeth Abbott, "Quail Run" - El Paso, TX

2011-01-07T19:56:00.000-08:00

Connie Weaver, "Taking Time to Reflect" - El Paso, TX

2011-01-07T19:53:00.000-08:00

Connie Weaver is originally from New Mexico, has lived in El Paso since 1975. She studied and taught acrylics technique in Germany and has participated in many exhibits. Currrently, her work may be seen at Sunland Art Gallery, Ruly’s Kitchen, The Rivera Res- taurant, Open Gate Community Church and The Market Place at Placita Santa Fe . Connie encourages us to ‘expect a miracle every day’.

Christina Gonzalez, "Together Till the End" - El Paso, TX

2011-01-07T19:52:00.000-08:00

Chris Melero - El Paso, TX

2011-01-07T19:48:00.000-08:00

Marilyn Mouse & Heart of Head

Carol Davis, "Hearts and Flowers" - Brentwood, TN

2011-01-07T19:46:00.000-08:00

Brenda Roberts, "Soft Song" - El Paso, TX

2011-01-07T19:44:00.000-08:00

Antonio Cervantes, "Deep Within the Heart" - El Paso, TX

2011-01-07T19:41:00.000-08:00

Anne Hernandez, "Al Amanecer" - El Paso, TX

2011-01-07T19:38:00.000-08:00

Anne Hernandez, AVANCE Board Member, has once again created a masterpiece that is sure to be a favorite amongst event attendees. A mosaic of beautiful tiles and glass, the heart will be on display for all to see come the 3rd of February.

Alejandra Akiceri Carrillo Estrada, "I Rather Eat Butterflies For Lunch" - El Paso, TX

2011-01-07T19:35:00.000-08:00

Born in Cd. Juarez, raised in El Paso, Alejandra Carrillo-Estrada is a recent graduate from UTEP. She earned her degree in studio art metals and sculpture graduating with honors and is a recipient of the Luis Jimenez Scholarship Award. Carrillo likes to work with found objects and alternative materials in both her jewelry and in sculptures. She was also the gallery coordinator while attending UTEP at the Union Gallery. Carrillo curated the exhibitions such as “Green: Young, Lush and Blooming” and “Blurring the Borderlines” along with coordinating a total of 10 exhibitions showcased at the Union Gallery.

Carrillo-Estrada has shown her work in El Paso, participated in “Las Artistas: Fine Art Craft Sale” for three consecutive years, and was in the “Annual Juried Student Show” at the Rubin Center for the Visual Arts twice. She also earned an Honorable Mention Award in sculpture in 2008 for “Premio Chihuahua”. She is currently working as a bench jeweler and her work was recently selected for the Society of North American Goldsmiths’ “Exhibition in Motion” at the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston.

Becky Hendrick - "The Wild Rose" - La Union, NM

2010-12-02T08:40:00.000-08:00

During her forty-plus year "art life," Becky Hendrick has worked in many media and genres including painting, multi-media constructions, participatory installations, and performance art. She received her BFA in painting from Newcomb College of Tulane University in 1969 and the MFA from the Instituto Allende in San Miguel de Allende, Mexico, in 1978. She has taught studio and lecture classes in five college art programs, and is currently on the faculty at University of Texas at El Paso where she teaches Whole Arts, a course integrating visual art, dance, music, and theater. Her work is in numerous private, corporate, and museum collections, including the El Paso Museum of Art, El Paso Holocaust Museum, New Mexico State University, Meridian Museum of Art, and the Mississippi museum of Art. Hendrick is the author of Getting It: A Guide to Understanding and Appreciating Art (Houghton Mifflin Company), About and Through the Arts: Lessons and Activities for Creating Teaching and Learning (Kendall Hunt Publishers), and ____ 's Book of Beliefs, available online from iUniverse.com. For over twenty years she has been a frequent contributor of arts criticism to regional and national arts periodicals, most recently Artlies, published in Houston. She received an award for arts criticism from the Kansas City Arts Alliance in 1986. In addition to her art, teaching, and writing, Becky Hendrick serves as host of the Border Art Residency, founded by her husband, sculptor Willie Ray Parish, on their property in rural La Union, New Mexico. She and Parish divide their time between El Paso/La Union and Puerto Peñasco, Sonora, Mexico.

Willie Ray Parish - "Untitled" - La Union, NM

2010-12-02T08:23:00.000-08:00

Willie Ray Parish was born in Tupelo, Mississippi and has been an artist and a sculptor for over 40 years. Recently showing at Baylor University's Martin Museum of Art, and "Earthbound, The State of Sculpture in Texas" at the Art Museum of South Texas in Corpus Christi and the Midland Texas Outdoor Sculpture Exhibition. Recently installed a $55,000 commission for the city of El Paso, Texas involving five sculptures in a city Sculpture park. His work have been shown from coast to coast. Parish is the Sculpture professor at the University of Texas at El Paso. He is the founder and director of the Border Art Residency in La Union, New Mexico. He lives in La Union, New Mexico and Puerto Peñasco, Mexico with his wife and artist and writer Becky Hendrick.

Robert Dozal - "Dos Culturas Unidas" - El Paso, TX

2010-12-02T07:51:00.000-08:00

Robert has been donating painted hearts to AVANCE almost every year since the inception of Toma Mi Corazon 10 years ago. A Former winner of El Paso Scene's " Heart of El Paso Award" he loves the challenge of creating clever works that relate well to the heart shape and depict the beauty of El Paso area, especially the people. Each of Robert's corazones is done in a variety of techniques including pointillism, thick impasto's and tiny, hair -like lines like the ones used in egg-tempera paintings. Though the method may be stunning, it is the images and the feeling that are more impressive. Robert participates in local, regional and national shows and has won the Esther Wells Collection award at the National Watercolor Society's Annual Exhibition.

Roy Van der Aa - "Untitled" - Las Cruces, NM

2010-11-12T09:16:00.000-08:00

Born in Holland, Roy Van der Aa grew up in Montreal, Canada. He studied art as a teen under Dutch impressionist Gerard van Dykhof in the seventies. His formal education includes 2 years of Fine Art specialty in John Abbott College, and 4 years at Concordia University. He had his first One Man Show in 1978. In 1981, he founded Zones, a cooperative fine arts studio and exhibition space which operated untill he emigrated to the U.S. in 1989. He is a founding member of Artforms and has exhibited with the group since its inception in 1995. He has shown in group exhibits at Galerie Alegre in 2003, the Border Artists and Friends Show in 2004 and exhibits with artists who are members of The Society of Layerists in Multi-Media. Van der Aa has had solo shows at the Tombaugh Gallery in 2004, Oasis 7 in 2005 and Laughing at the Sun and the Visitors and Convention Bureau in 2006. He participated in "Choreographed Militancy." a two person show at the Corbett Center in 2007 where he featured 21 works. He was included in "The Man Show" at D. Rothermel Fine Art for Artshop in 2008. His latest solo show was "It'll put your Eye Out" at the Unsettled Gallery in 2009. He was featured at In Effect gallery where he was a gallery artist from 2008-09. Van der Aa is a multi-media collage artist.

Diana de la Torre - "Dandelion of Innocence" El Paso, TX

2010-11-11T13:23:00.000-08:00

Diana de la Torre was born in East Los Angeles and grew up in Socorro. Her love of drawing has been never ending since she was four years old. She is a proud military wife and mother of one. She has a degree in Graphic Design from Southwest College in San Diego, and she manages a full-time job while also working part-time as freelance graphic designer. Diana enjoys donating her time and talent to non-profits. Her son is her current inspiration. The innocence and wonderment of discovery that her son holds is what fascinates her the most, and she tries to convey it through her artwork. This is the second year she has participated in the Toma Mi Corazon event.

Julie Caffee-Cruz - "Playing Dress Up" - El Paso, TX

2010-11-11T10:18:00.000-08:00

Julie Caffee-Cruz is an artist, illustrator and educator. She cant remember a time when she wasn't drawing or painting. Art and the love for pencil drawing became a part of her life. She found herself drawing everything; paying close attention to the tiny details that many artists prefer to leave out. Her accomplishments in art mature as the years progressed, but at the age 14, she was hit with traumatic news. She was diagnosed with juvenile Rheumatoid Arthritis, a crippling disease. "I didn't realize what it could do to me ," she exclaimed. "I didn't stop. I had too far to go, so I just kept on pursuing my art career." Out of sheer perseveranc,e never letting her crippled hands hinder her work, Julie pressed on with her artistic desire through high school and college, earning a Bachelor of Fine Arts Degree from West Texas State University in 1985. Julie has done commissioned artwork for many years. Her favorite medium is pencil, but enjoys the challenge of watercolor painting. She has recently begun experimenting with colored pencils. Her favorite subjects are people, although she has used a broad range of subject matter. Her clients include Patti Page, well-know singer and television star from the 1950's. Julie drew original artwork for Page's Christmas cards for 5 consecutive years. She has also done pen and ink illustrations for signage in the U.S. Forest Service's Cimarron and Comanche National
Grasslands. In addition, Julie has illustrated six children's books for Author Herb Marlow. Julie has clients from all over the United States and as far away as Oman and Germany. Julie is also an art educator. She has taught junior and high school art classes, as well as college level art courses. She is currently teaching art classes part-time for El Paso Community College's Senior Adult Program. Pencil in hand, drawing portraits of colorful people has kept her excited about the world of art waiting to be created. Julie was raised in Southwest Kansas, where she has become one of the most respected artists of the area. In 2001, she became a military wife. Her husband, Ed is Active Duty Army, and the family moved to El Paso/Fort Bliss in January of 2004. After arriving in El Paso, Caffee-Cruz became a member of El Paso Art Association and Rio Bravo watercolorists, both of which she is still a member. Her accomplishments include winning the Blue Ribbon Award at the 2010 Sun Bowl Art Exhibit sponsored by the International Museum of Art. She also was awarded Best of Show at EPAA's Colors of Spring Art Show in 2006 and in 2009 won Best of Show at the Arts International Show, and she won the Bill Kolliker Memorial Award in 2006. In 2007, Julie won the Windsor-Newton Watercolor award at EPAA's Colors of Spring Show. She has won many other awards since entering her first show in 1992.

Alberto Escamilla - "Untitled" - Sanderson, TX

2010-11-11T09:16:00.000-08:00

Alberto Escamilla was born in Sanderson, TX. Escamilla's early interest in art began with drawing comic book characters. Upon coming to Texas Western College (UTEP) on an athletic scholarship, he soon learned that art was also offered in their curriculum. He soon knew he wanted to pursue a degree in the Fine Arts, and thus began his life's passion. His early works consisted of western and southwest scenes, which captured mostly earth tone colors. This type of work was not fulfilling, so he began to study in depth the works and lives of former artists. The more he read and studied the work of the "Independents", he felt a strong connection with the way they believed and painted. He continuously worked on mastering the blending of colors, brush strokes and subject matter to achieve an effect that gave the viewer a sense of beauty and tranquility. Hence, Escamilla's work entered a new dimension which strongly shows a continuation of those great painters known as the "Independents."

Susan Amstater Schwartz - "Love for The Desert" - El Paso, TX

2010-11-11T08:27:00.000-08:00

Susan Amstater is a native to this mercurial land of the Southwest and is physically at one with it. She combines elements of baroque, romantic, impressionist and expressionist movements. She speaks in the language of nature which she knows by extracting patterns that allow us to recall our own encounters with place. It is the incredible, intense light of the Western land that allows her mind and palette to expand into ever extending horizons. The transience of light fully informs the language of Amstater's art. Her images are timeless. Amstater's works are about potential, growth and exploration, not only the land, but of the self and the poetry of our life. Her art has appeared in exhibitions throughout the United States and is included in many corporate, private and museum collections. She has appeared in The Artist's Magazine, Southwest Art Magazine and The Best of Watercolor 2. Her painting "Rio Grande Valley Farmlands" was selected for the 1999 Santa Fe Opera poster which was founded by grants from the National Endowment For The Arts and New Mexico Arts.

Berenice Perea - "Life" and "Corazon de Melon"- Cd. Juarez, Chihuahua

2010-11-11T07:33:00.000-08:00

Berenice Perea was born in Ciudad Juarez, Chihuahua. She has been drawing and painting since she was a child and remembers hanging her pieces all over her parents' house for holidays like Christmas or Valentine's Day. Most of her pieces are made with colored pencil, although for the "Toma Mi Corazon" auction, she likes to be "adventurous" and experiments with other media like acrylic, and watercolor. She has donated pieces for Toma Mi Corazon and to the "Chilitos" auction, held by the El Paso Hospice, where she won a Honor Mention. Berenice's other passion is wildlife, which is one of her favorite subjects. This year, Berenice had three pieces selected to participate at the Something Different exhibit organized by the International Museum of Art. Also this year, a piece from Berenice's collection was selected to participate at the annual Sun Bowl Art exhibit, the largest event held by the International Museum of Art, where she won first prize, the "Best of Show" award. The exhibition will be held there from November 5th until January 4, 2011

Mia Ortiz - "Local Native" - El Paso, TX

2010-11-02T10:39:00.000-07:00

Mia Ortiz, 24 years old, was born and raised in El Paso, TX . She graduated from Belhaven University in Jackson, MS with a BFA in Studio Drawing. After interning in New York with artists Steven and William Ladd, she is now back at home currently working for Project AIM at Providence hospital for Creative Kids as an art instructor. Mia intends to go to grad school for art therapy sometime in the near future. Having recognized the distinctions that affect our approach to art making, she has seen firsthand how it affects others in finding a purpose and greater appreciation for art. In her growth and development, studying many of the greatest ancestors within the art has shown how art has developed and changed over time and still to this day continues forward with a wider diversity of brilliant people who have a passion and soul for art. The art she makes is therapeutic is not meant to be coded. By working with others, Mia hopes to enhance many lives through art.

Lisa Matta - Brown - "The Franklin Mountains El Paso Colors" - Santa Teresa, NM

2010-11-02T10:15:00.000-07:00

Lisa presently lives in Santa Teresa, NM where she have come to love the city, the people, and especially her wonderful artist friends. although she's been an artist her whole life it has been here during the last several years that she has been able to devote herself full time to her passion of creating her art trough paint. She has had the wonderful opportunity to travel to several places in the world and to learn and reflect on the beautiful art work of many of the Masters of which all have contributed to her style of work. she was born and raised in the town of Mesa, AZ just east of the City of Phoenix. As long as she can remember she has always loved to sketch, draw and paint. The real first art class that she took of which she can remember was at the age of twelve when her mother enrolled her in art classes after believing that she had talent in painting and the potential of growing and becoming better at it. In growing up, going to school, and helping her parents in their restaurant business she wasn't able to devote the time she would have liked to advance her knowledge and skills in the art world. She knew that at sometime in her life there would come a time of which she would be able to pursue her passion of painting and to create work that have been in her mind and heart many years. Shortly after her move to El Paso area several years ago from home town of Mesa, AZ her husband called her as he was crossing over the Rio Grande River and informed her that there was a group of Artist on the Banks of the Rio Grande with their easels and paint brushes. She threw her paints, easels and all her other gear into her car and drove down to the river to find out who these artists were. There she meet several members of the El Paso Plein - Air group of which all were wonderful, made her feel welcome of which shortly after she joined their group. It was from this most fortunate event in her life that she been able to meet wonderful people that have helped her so much in her dedication pursuit of becoming a better and more proficient artist.

Rhonda Doré - "Lantern Secrets" - El Paso, TX

2010-11-02T09:52:00.000-07:00

Rhonda Doré lives in El Paso, Texas, where she finds many of her collage materials. "Often my work becomes a travelogue of papers that cross my path. I am especially drawn to papers that are old, discarded and papers from our border region. Many of the pieces in my work are papers of transitory worth. Labels, tags, wrappers, checks, money, and flyer's - papers that ultimately are spent or thrown away - especially appeal to me. Each of us unwittingly leaves a map of our life behind with the papers we discard. I like to think of each of my pieces as small, aerial views of lives."

Rhonda Doré specializes in abstract collage and painting. Her work is in private collections in the United States, England and Scotland. She has been an award winner in the National Collage Society's annual juried exhibit, and has shown her work in exhibitions nationally and in the Southwest. New Mexico's Blue Dome Gallery represents her work.

Santiago J. Gonzalez - "Picnic by the Rio Grande" - El Paso, TX

2010-10-20T14:53:00.000-07:00

This will be the fourth year Santiago J. Gonzalez has donated his artist talent to one of his many worthy cause. This year will be his first enlarged heart submitted. The title for this year is an oil painting "Picnic by the Rio Grande". A self taught artist who remembers drawing during elementary school and being scold for not completing and turning in classroom assignments. He has donated his many art works for auction to the Lutheran Adult Social Service, West Texas Food Bank, Teen Challenge, Centro de Agricultura de los Trabajadores Agricolas, and most recently to the St. Stephens Cross Arts Auction. Raised in South El Paso and a graduate from Bowie High School he decided to give back to his Segundo Barrio community. In 1981 in celebration of the Four Centuries Celebration he painted the "Paso Del Norte" mural inside the Senior Citizen Center in South El Paso. The 10x20 mural depicts a Conquistador and Spaniard Friar overlook the Rio Grande with the Franklin Mountains in the background. He specializes in still life, landscaping in oils and pastels. His a member of the El Paso Art Association and enjoys painting on Sundays while listening to oldies but goodies.

Michele Ellington – “2 Tickets 2 Paradise” – El Paso, TX

2010-10-20T09:30:00.001-07:00

Michele Ellington has once again agreed to donate her time for the AVANCE Heart Auction. An employee of the City of El Paso, Michele donated her piece "2 Tickets 2 Paradise", which is reflective of her recent trip to Australia. One side features a photograph taken during her September trip, and the opposite side features a painted rendition of the butterfly.

Gabriela Jimenez – “Rest Your Heart Sofa” – Cd. Juarez, Chihuahua

2010-10-19T16:13:00.000-07:00

Gabriela Jimenez a Juarez resident was born in the city of Chihuahua, she has been drawing since she was a child, but has pursued a more formal approach to the arts until recent years. She is mainly self taught and started working with oil media around 2003. She studied one semester pastel drawing at IADA (UACJ) in 2006 and then started experimenting by herself with watercolor in 2008. Her favorite subjects are cartoons from her own creation and Chihuahuan desert landscapes. She received a honorific award during her participating on "Premio Chihuahua" in 2009. She is a member of El Paso Art Association. She has participated on exhibits at Hal Marcus Gallery and participated recently at El Paso Arts International exhibit. Through her work she likes to share a sense of happiness and tranquility.

Sharon Stillwater – “Take My Hand, Take My Heart” – Rociada, NM

2010-10-15T09:30:00.000-07:00

Sharon M. Stillwater is inspired by the rich kaleidoscope of the human psyche and by its mirror in nature and wilderness. She sees the borders which separate us from our deeper psyche, from the wild universe of which we are a part, and from each other, as being illusory and isolating. She strive to cross these borders and weave the parts back into wholeness.

Hector Bernal – “Girl with a Veil” – El Paso, TX

2010-10-15T09:15:00.000-07:00

Hector Bernal was born in Cd. Juarez, Chihuahua and has lived in El Paso since 1959. He attended Aoy Elementary and Graduated from Bowie High School in 1968. He worked as an illustrator in retail advertising in the Popular and the White House department stores. But painting has always been his passion. He has received many awards and recognition for his work. He works fulltime as a painter here in El Paso. His work has been sold to local collectors as well as art collectors in Europe, New York, Houston and Dallas. In 2007 Mr. Bernal was selected to represent The Chamizal National Memorial in Washington DC. with one of his works. What he created was beautiful and was well received in Washington. Mr. Bernal traveled by special invitation to the The White House to take part in a special reception hosted by former first lady Laura Bush to honor contributing artists.

Hector Bernal – “Boy with White Dove” – El Paso, TX

2010-10-15T08:56:00.000-07:00

Steve Salazar - "Come Together, Join the Party" - El Paso, TX

2010-10-06T12:43:00.001-07:00

Born in the late 60s, and raised in the 70s, how can one not be influenced by the colorful Pop Culture of this era. Steve Salazar, a UTEP graduate, is an accomplished artist, muralist, and art educator at Bowie High School.

As a Chicano artist, Salazar describes his art style as "Chicano-Sur-Pop-Adelic," a marriage of major art movements that have influenced his work.

"Chicano Art game me the themes for my pieces, which range from social, political, to religion. Surrealism gave me the drive to put familiar images of subconscious down on canvas and interpret the meanings for me. Pop Art gave me the characters by using Mexican - American - Chicano icons to be my voice, and Psychedelic Art gave me the palette of bright colors which have been embedded in my mind since an early age." - Steve Salazar

Rob Mack - "Culture/Commitment/Community" - El Paso, TX

2010-10-06T09:53:00.000-07:00

Rob Mack was born in Stuttgart, Germany and moved to El Paso when he was five years old. He has been an El Paso resident ever since. He is a graduate of Irvin High School and spent six years in the US Army. He currently works at Western Refining during the day, and paints at night. Rob has been an avid lover of art since he was a small child and entered many art contests as a young boy. Over the years, he has devoted his spare time to wood carving and painting and has sold many carvings at local art shows. He is currently working mostly in acrylics and is excited to offer this colorful piece of art for auction.

Tim Gallegly - "Mother's Love" - El Paso, TX

2010-10-06T09:38:00.000-07:00

Tim Gallegly was born in Amarillo, Texas. He received a degree in fine arts from Texas Tech University in 1972. After college, Tim moved to Albuquerque where he worked as a commercial artist and then owned an advertising agency. Since the 1980s, he and his wife, Patty, have lived in El Paso where he serves as president of the Guynes Printing Company.

Mr. Gallegly is a member of the El Paso Artists' Hall of Fame, inducted in 2005. This is Tim's first year being involved with the Toma Mi Corazon event, but it is not the first time he has donated his time and talent to nonprofits.

Ramon Valenzuela - "Single Bird, Single Flower" - El Paso, TX

2010-10-06T07:57:00.000-07:00

Ramon Valenzuela, El Paso artist and cartoonist, just stopped by to leave his piece of "heart" entitled "Single Bird, Single Flower". Anyone who loves nature and the beauty it possesses will enjoy this piece.

Socorro Munoz - "Wine and Roses" and "My Home Sweet Home" - El Paso, TX

2010-10-06T07:53:00.001-07:00

Socorro Munoz has exhibited her paintings throughout El Paso as well as Southern and Northern New Mexico. Her themes shift from landscapes and portraits to Mexican retablos, still life, abstracts and more. Her techniques vary from oil, acrylics, pastels, watercolors and egg tempera in traditional and modern styles.

Sarah Wood - "Great Expectations" - El Paso, TX

2010-10-06T07:49:00.000-07:00

Sarah Wood is an El Paso artist and new to the AVANCE Toma Mi Corazon Heart Auction. Her painting, "Great Expectations" shows a loving couple expecting a baby. It is important to remember why the Toma Mi Corazon heart auction takes place: to break the cycle of poverty for El Paso families, both the parents and children from birth to 4 years old.

Holly Cox - "Summer" - El Paso, TX

2010-10-06T07:41:00.000-07:00

Third generation El Paso artist, Holly Cox, is the daughter of painter and muralist, Eugene Thurston and his wife Anna Lind Thurston. Her grandmother, Fern Thurston, was also a Texas artist. Holly is a graduate of Texas Western College, now the University of Texas at El Paso. Her piece, "Summer", features beautiful butterflies, which often can symbolize our AVANCE participants. Once they join the program, they often spread their wings and fly due to the knowledge and education obtained through the program.

Shannon Stull & Jeremy Carrus - "Natulius" & "Tree" - Orlando, FL

2010-10-06T07:27:00.001-07:00

Shannon Stull and Jeremy Carrus are advertising Creative Directors by day and contemporary artists by night. Based in Orlando, FL the two collaborators work in just about every medium, from painting to sculpture, and film to graphic art. Their works have been featured in Tampa, Orlando and Paris art shows this year, and they are honored to be a part of the Toma Mi Corazon art auction in El Paso.

For Shannon, exhibiting in Texas is a return home. She graduated from Coronado High School in the year 2000, and the University of Texas at Austin in 2004. Her experiences in both places influence her work, and she also draws inspiration from Tim Burton films, vintage poster art, and graphic artist Stefan Sagmeister.

Jeremy was born in Japan, and his art is heavily influenced by cartoons he watched there as a child. Jeremy also admires the work of digital artist Joshua David, and film maker Hillman Curtis.

Though Shannon and Jeremy's artistic styles differ, they chose to design hearts that symbolize the core mission of AVANCE. Shannon's piece, "Nautilus", serves as a symbol of personal growth. As a Nautilus shell grows into increasily larger chambers throughout its lifetime, it exhibits expansion and renewal. Jeremy's piece, "Tree", represents us all, as we too develop roots, strengthen, and branch out as we grow.

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

2010-09-28T13:20:00.001-07:00

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

2010-09-28T13:06:00.000-07:00

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

2010-09-28T12:36:00.000-07:00

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

2010-09-28T12:32:00.000-07:00

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

2010-09-23T13:25:00.000-07:00

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

2010-09-21T13:35:00.000-07:00

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.