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Artist Statement:
Computer Art is commonly used
to refer to any form of
creative expression generated
by a computer, or, assisted by
one. It is a term steeped with
derogative nuances and in many
cases, deeply rooted in
mistrust and fear. Fear of
change… of being left behind.
However, it is also the
product of lack of discipline
among certain digital
“artists”; the result of too
many people leaning on the
proverbial crutch of the
computer.
There is, on the other hand an
ever-growing number of truly
creative people working HARD
to expand, not supplant the
artistic boundaries. We are
Digital Artists, with as many
divergent styles and mediums
as in traditional art. Mine is
Digital Painting. Here too,
you find great diversity in
each individual artistic
approach.
In Digital Painting, I prefer
to start with a photograph;
load it into Photoshop, and
then create a simple sketch,
devoid of much detail. I then
import this file in Painter. A
study of both original image
and the sketch usually guides
me as to which medium and
style to use. During this
process, I have created quite
a few customized brushes and
settings.
This brings me to another
important fact: for the ...
Further Information
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Artist Exhibitions:
Coming Soon!
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Artist Galleries:
Coming Soon!
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Artist Reviews:
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Collections:
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Commissions:
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Manuel San Miguel Biography:
| Biographical information for Manuel San Miguel can be found below. The artist may choose what information to display. Sometimes the artist chooses not to display personal information to the general public. |
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Age
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53
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| Gender |
Male
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| Status |
Married
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| Children |
3
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| Religion |
Jehovah's Witness |
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| Education |
Self Taught |
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| Hobbies / Interests |
Teaching others about Jehovah’s great qualities and purpose for mankind.
Love fishing and reading with my two daughters, now 6 and 9 years old. Steering them as they persue the same artistic yearning in their own way... |
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| Favorite Artistic Medium |
Painting Other
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| Favorite Arthistory Movement |
Expressionism - (1905 - 1945)
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| Favorite Visual Artist |
van Gogh; Pollock; San Miguel Griffo
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| Favorite Work of Art |
not provided
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| Biggest Artistic Inspiration |
Jehovah’s infinite creation; a truly amazing display of natural wonders, with endless variations in form, light and texture. |
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| Why Did You Become An Artist |
Ever since I can remember, my most vivid image has been of my Dad painting. I started playing with paints at 4 and through his persistence, had my first TV show at the age of 9. After a 30-year hiatus to pursue other educational and career goals, I returned to my first love when the computer came of age as an artistic instrument; breaking my physical limitations. It was always my Dad who inspired me to push the envelope towards new frontiers in my personal and creative development. |
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| Your Personal Biography |
Born in San Juan, Puerto Rico in 1955, I graduated from the University of Puerto Rico at Río Piedras in 1980, and finished my Juris Doctor at InterAmerican University in 1983. Later, I served as a spokesperson for the handicapped on several cabinet-level advisory positions under the Governor of Puerto Rico from 1984 until my health-induced retirement in 1992.
I was stricken by Polio at the age of five and left with a severely limited use of arms and hands. However, Born in a family with a long tradition for the arts, I started learning and experimenting informally with well known artists and friends like Augusto Marín, the late Andrés Bueso, his son Andy Bueso, but especially with my father, Manuel San Miguel Griffo. Through him I learned the basics of composition, light, texture, balance and color. He remains to this day, my toughest critic and inspirational guide.
My first venture into painting was in the oriental technique of Finger-paint, which my father brought from Korea and Japan during his stay in the Korean War. The simplicity gave me the right tools at the time.
It wasn’t until 1994, when the computer became a serious creative medium that I finally felt free to express what my mind already had conceived long before. Contrary to most artists, who migrate from the more traditional disciplines to the digital media, for me it was the most natural and obvious choice.
Most of my paintings are images from my native Puerto Rico and my home now in Florida. The three essential elements always present in my work are: Light, Form and Texture. All use digital re-interpretations of the “pastel”, “oil”, “ink”, or “watercolor” natural media.
I have also created some portraits and figure studies, although not as many as I would like. My reticence to work more in this area comes not from the subject matter, but from my own inadequacy at controlling brush detail in the face and hands. Lately, however I have inched closer toward my own expressionist style, one that enables me to bypass these shortcomings. Therefore, the style in these figure studies leans more towards abstract expressionism than most of my landscapes.
Usually, I create a sketch in Corel Painter or Photoshop and save it as a separate layer. Sometimes digital photos are imported and prepped, then imported in Painter, where a color palette is created, and then color values are added in layers, using the sketch as a base and a myriad of great brushes. Texture is carefully added digitally to both paper and paint through a series of fantastic Painter effect filters. Finally, because the effect in most cases is too cubist for my taste, I soften the edges with several blender brushes.
My work is fresh and still evolving. Because I use combinations of acrylic, ink, watercolor and custom brushes laid down by hand, one could argue that this is really Mixed Media; not Computer Art. I call it Digital Paint. Through it all however, this artwork projects a passion and expressive longing deep within.
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