Tattoo Art
2/3/2012 6:38:26 PM

Well, it looks like some of the winter months have detracted me a little bit from what I usually do, as far as my art goes. I was asked to design a custom tattoo a few months ago for a friend. The design he had in mind was going to be inked onto his back. He was pretty specific about what he wanted so I went to work, pretty much right away on it, since my brain goes crazy wild with visions when it comes to art. The draft was given to him and after several months of waiting, he finally decided to get the work done on his back.
The turtle is non-symetrical and incorporates his love of reptile, with his personal belief of life. Because I am native american, and turtles are symbolic in my spanish culture, it had to have some concept of tribal attributes sketched into it. The finished INKED back will soon be listed under the Photography catagory. I intend to shoot a session of my design for his back. I can now say that I am not only an Artist of displayed work in local galleries every now and again, but now I can have an actual moving canvas on display out there somewhere in Idaho Falls. Imagine that! Many, many thanks to my wonderful friend for giving me the privilege to design this sketch as a permanent piece of art on "his" back. The tattoo artist he selected to ink it out was pretty visual with the same effect of the design that I wanted it to result in, and quite the "Artist" himself.
Art is a form that is non-sporatic of limitless mediums.

-nelida
Entry Number 73

Art and Coffee
10/6/2011 11:38:39 AM

Visit Nelida and check out her works at the Villa Cafe in Historic Downtown Idaho Falls. More details coming soon!

-nelida
Entry Number 71

Bench Unveiling Scheduled
5/17/2011 10:13:28 PM

After the months spent festuring over Under The Starz inside my garage, this baby is finally ready to be unveiled along with the rest of the benches jurried for this project. We will be unveiling these art pieces on Friday May 20, at 10am. Weather permitting of course. The reception will be held on the east side of the Veterans Memorial on the greenbelt across the intersection of B Street. Under the Starz will be the focal point at this unveiling since my bench will be the piece that is placed at this particular site. Maps will be handed out the morning of the unveiling for the rest of the bench viewings and their locations. There are some amazing artists out there. Alot of work and money to get these projects finished. Congrat to all of us who produced some pretty cool Art to sit on.
Personally, this experience taught me alot. First, I learned a little bit about welding, which I have always wanted to do. Patience and stability are a huge part of welding. It also taught me a great deal about managing my time and energy, in which this baby consumed every ounce of it that I had, and alot more about supportive friends and family. I love you all who encouraged, advised, pushed and especially, cooperatively, helped me build this piece of Art that will be a welcoming bench for many years to come. Muchas gracias amigos. Could not have done it without you.

-nelida
Entry Number 68

Under the Stars
4/3/2011 9:35:23 PM

As the April 15th deadline comes to a close crunch, we seem to be making progress on Under the Stars bench project. Time, money, and sanity have not been good friends on this stressor but it is nice to sighfully say that "i am still here". My favorite motto these last few weeks? "It'll get done !!!"

-nelida
Entry Number 67

"Under the Stars" bench update
3/5/2011 12:11:11 AM

Well it is the first week of March already and at this point I thought I would have already had a welder hired on to help me with the bench project for "Under the Stars"...I started interviewing welders way back in January when I first got my sponsors to sign on and now it is getting down to the nitty-gritty. The sweat glands are beginning to swell and give way for stressful heartbeats. It will get done, but sooner than later is always the best resolve.

-nelida
Entry Number 66

The Journey
2/28/2011 10:33:50 PM

THE JOURNEY, a 4 part section sold as 1 painting,has been a work in progress for over a year now. When I began this "painting", I started off with a vision of these images in my mind, and as with most visions, usually conceived in the middle of the night, quickly scetched on whatever piece of paper I can scramble up. I never know exactly what these images in my head mean until they are completely outside of me, and onto their own "setting", it's very own permanent canvased home.

Making the frames for this painting would be the challenge of course, as it will have been the first odd-shaped painting I had ever done; but I had to frame the strectchers around the original "vision". I am so grateful for the friends who come to my aid when I am unable to build such intricaties. In the end, this rhombus-angled abstraction tells a story, while asking questions pondered by all. There is a Beginning, a Living, and an End to every journey taken..to every soul.

-nelida
Entry Number 65

FINISHED WORK
2/19/2011 10:17:17 PM

Well the work is now done. When I first started with this "vision" a year and a half ago, I knew that I wanted to paint an irregular painting..least from the vision I had, it would turn out to be a rhombus angled 3 in 1 painting depicting abstractive color and form not clear to me of the story until tonite. When all put together, the 3 (actually 4) considerabley large pieces depict an absolute truth. I am well satisfied with the completion as it seems to portray just the things that are too personal to speak out loud. The inner questions I believe all humanity asks at one point in their lives or another. It is our common factor.
As my journey has proceeded throughout the years, I have found that I have cared less and less over time (and MATURITY), of how my visions, or the images in my head, appear to public scrutiny. This brings me to the continued dilemma of questioning my status in the realm of this "WORLD" we refer to as ART; Does my carelessness elicit obsolescent fame? I just need to paint what I need.

-nelida
Entry Number 51

Works In Progress
2/12/2011 10:24:09 PM

Works in Progress is still under way as we move forward into new fields of work. Since it is my goal to submit to the Jackson Hole Art Fair jury show this year, I am working hard at meeting their deadline by the end of February. All the while, still interviewing welders to build my bench desighn by April. The piece I am currently working on is already testing my emotions as all my pieces tend to do. These late nights have me reflecting on what it is I try to say in my work that I cannot communicate verbally. Humanity seems to be at a breaking point where everyone is illusive to the truth of this place we call Earth. Artists communicate with mediums and visual images familiar to themselves. I have never been very good at "talking" so instead I will paint what needs to be said; whether I am saying to myself, or someone else out there who sees a painting and suddenly knows exactly what I was trying to say through it. Thank God for this gift as I would be utterly lost without it.

-nelida
Entry Number 50

DEADLINES AND PRESSURE
1/19/2011 9:06:28 PM

So the deadlines for jurried spring shows begin once more. Feels wonderful having the motivation to work again. To splatter paint on canvas during a really good crying session. I have not worked on canvas for over a year and it feels good to allow the flow of visions run through me again the way they did before Jason died.

Tragedy strikes us all in different shapes and forms. What we do DURING that dark valley is what drives us closer to our own grave or the depths of our own souls. I lost my boyfriend to suicide last year before Christmas. It has been a tumultuous journey getiing through one day let alone a week at a time. Though I have been told that I will paint some profound masterpiece from this tragedy, I found only emptiness and shattered hope to be a constant. I did find, however, that poetry became a natural part of the healing process. letting myself share those "thoughts" on Jason's facebook profile alleviated some of the negative energy I felt at times. So -- Since I am to dust myself off and gird up my loins, I shall begin again with new anticipation of sculpting my first accepted design for the Idaho Falls Art bench project. By the end of April, somewhere along the greenbelt, you should see a giant tunnel of a star to sit in and enjoy being a kid again, to remember that life is PRECIOUS and we are only promised TODAY.

-nelida
Entry Number 49

Road Trip
5/6/2010 9:26:58 PM

I finally had the opportunity to visit Missoula, Mt. on a day trip this last weekend. What a quaint little town. So much going on for a good sized town. I will definately have to go back and stay longer. Meeting my buyer for Inside My Skin and Violently Exposed originals was such a blessing. Road trips tend to give you that much needed quiet time to process some thoughts and regather priorities. My buyer has inspired me to continue what I thought I was wasting my time on and focusing on the "why" of what I paint. Crazy as some pieces may appear,the personal experiences I write about on most paintings, turned out to touch a cord in someone elses heart as well. Art can do that. Just like music, it makes us feel, ponder, wonder, and ask our own inner questions of self. Oftentimes more than "what the hell made her paint this?" we ask "what is it about this painting that makes me stare at it? and why?"
I look forward to building new relationships in this small breed of artists and art fans, and continue to minister to others hearts and not just my own.

-nelida
Entry Number 46

the
2/18/2010 10:29:43 AM

Ollas de Mexico are a series i began more than 5 years ago in New Mexico when my father brought me a box of rocks frim his mine in Mexico and said, "do something with these"... my fathers encouragement to draw horses for him, evolved into childhood dreams to become an artist.Initially, an artist was all i ever wanted to be and all i have ever truly been. I took the box of rocks and since linseed oil would not adhere the paint i wanted, i chose to break up a rock and see what came of it. I liked the consistency so much so i started to experiment with glue and canvas. Turned out to be greater than i hoped.
Visions can come from our own spiritual awareness of self; thus my first "sandpainting" was visualized through a hole in my canvas. I began to paint the pot with the hole in the canvas so in the end, it turned out to be a three dimensional sandpainting. It was a "wow" piece and i fell so in love with the rocks and their various consistency. My pots are always what i imagine them to be. My inspirations for the pots come from my own set of mexican hand made pottery from casas grandes mexico. There is never a trace of paint on my paintings. Everything, even my signature is all ground up rock done on my "metate". A "metate", is an ancient indian stone which my ancestors used as a grinding stone for grinding corn, grain and other ceremonial purposes symbolic to life as death and the rebirth of life. As native american and spaniard, I try holding on to that part of my culture in the process of grinding my own minerals traditionally, layering each process over time atop of each color to form several layers of rock until the "rebirth" as you may say, is finished.

-nelida
Entry Number 45

ZAPPlication
11/27/2009 11:25:54 PM

artist site for submissions to art shows, festivals and events.

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Entry Number 38

Updates
10/16/2009 10:52:45 AM

As you can tell, we have been going through some changes this year to update my webpage and upload more images of the diversity of my work as an Artist and Photographer. Currently, we are making progressive headway to the site at a successful rate. It is good to have friends willing to encourage your gift and there to support you while you go through your "nelly moments".

-nelida
Entry Number 37