Today we’d like to introduce you to Graciela Paz.
Graciela, please kick things off for us by telling us about yourself and your journey so far.
I truly believe that you can apply your creativity everywhere, and I consider myself a very creative person, but when you find yourself working for too many years in an area that doesn’t make you whole, then it is time for a change. This is exactly why seven years ago I decided to stop working in business/financial areas and started towards a new degree, but this time in one of my passions – Art. Most of my life I’ve been dedicating my free time to do arts and crafts, just as a hobby, one more activity at the end of my list of priorities. When I started with Art, I started from the very beginning, basic stuff, and in no time, I was progressing to more and more complex pieces. Every day my feeling of belonging in this new endeavor was growing exponentially. I’ve been mostly working with mixed media paintings, but I also like to work with ceramics a lot. It is immeasurable the joy that Art has brought to my life, and how good you can communicate to the people, to the world with this beautiful language called Art.
Can you give our readers some background on your art?
As an artist, I take my inspiration from Mother Nature; I like to create organic abstract pieces with the use of mixed media. I let my audience use their imagination while they navigate through the strokes, the texture and the blend of colors to discover the unknown. I seek a better understanding of structures, systems and micro life in nature to increase consciousness of all the unseen beauty around us. Creation, constant changes, and chaos sometimes are represented in my pieces, evoking depth feelings that bring joy, drama, and excitement.
Even though I use different materials and processes to create my pieces, the methodology in each of my series is consistent, focusing on the different layers overlapping and giving life to my work. By expressing my feelings and my connection with nature in my paintings, my mind surfs through paths I’ve been before and through some that just exist in my dreams.
What responsibility, if any, do you think artists have to use their art to help alleviate problems faced by others? Has your art been affected by issues you’ve concerned about?
The role of an artist is to express and to communicate with his audience, the same applies today and maybe even on a bigger scale. Artistic expression is an important way to display or show your passion, opinions, concerns, and feelings towards the actual happenings in the world, no matter if they are political, economical, natural or from any other aspect. Local, national or international events definitely affect my art, right now I’m concentrated working on a series based in nature, specifically about bees, I like to communicate their beauty, how good they are for our world, and the risk of them disappearing. I feel passionate about the way they get organized and work together for a better tomorrow.
What’s the best way for someone to check out your work and provide support?
People can see my work by following me on my Instagram account @GPazArt.
I’m also part of an organization of Latin American Women Artist in Houston (LAWAH) that support each other in their art careers. You can learn more about the organization at lawah.net, part of my portfolio is included in this website. Another way to see my work is by attending art exhibitions, as I’ve been participating in some shows around Houston,
Contact Info:
- Website: lawah.net
- Email: gracielapaz@yahoo.com
- Instagram: GPazArt
Image Credit:
Graciela Paz
Getting in touch: VoyageHouston is built on recommendations from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you know someone who deserves recognition please let us know here.
