The Art of JLHerrera


Wednesday, September 21, 2011

BFK Celebrates La Primavera

I first saw an image in a poster book of Sandro Botticelli's La Primavera when i was in 9th grade. I fell in love and had dreams of seeing it in person. I have a poster section with the 3 Graces on it that sits in the dining room. I had it framed 20 or so years ago. And i have stared at that thing more times than i can count. I have looked at those beautiful faces and perfect hands and feet. Little toes, fingers, faces and flowers and leaves and so many glorious little details that it would take my breath away! A series of difficult events in my life left me somewhat broken and I found myself thinking about that painting day and night. I wanted to see something beautiful and feel something beautiful and in March I made plans. To my surprise , I bought a ticket to leave in August.And it takes a lot for me to get on a plane! With the help of my parents I could leave and not worry about the kids and i am grateful for that. I had originally thought to go alone but i was blessed with a loving travel companion who sneaked a photo of me while i was happily weeping in front of my dream come true!
Days later I had a dream about the nymph from Birth of Venus. In my dream i was restlessly sleeping and she sat on my bed next to me and put her hand on my back and told me it would be ok and told me to sleep and i did.  When i woke up I was so happy. The only thing that would have made this trip better is if Prince was standing next to La Primavera. But i can still dream!



Tuesday, July 19, 2011

What do you mean funny? Funny how?!

Yeah , funny like a clown..  This series will be hanging in this years DCAC Wall Mountables annual show in Adam's Morgan. They are mostly acrylics with powder pigment metal flakes and the two eye masks being acrylic and oil. I have been a busy bee and need to post many more paintings than this but this is a good start. 

spider clown 7 3/4 x 14 7/8 acrylic on 8ply






disguise 1 acrylic and oil 2x7

diguise2- acrylic and oil 2x7inch


elefante! 4x4 acrylic on wood 
             


acrylic on wood 3x4 circus clown1                                                    acrylic on wood 3x4 circus clown2
birdclown 4x4 acrylic on wood

butterclown 4x4 acrylic on wood

beetleclown 4x4 acrylic on wood










Thursday, November 11, 2010

Happier Days

  "Patron Saint of the Lost Sock"
12x16 acrylic on canvas 






   "Last Night while I Lay Dreaming"
11x14 acrylic on canvas

                                                                                


Feeling a little moody

In my moodier times i have found myself painting some crazy things. But the norm for my moodiness is iconography and strange cutesy creatures. Sweet smiles with a possible chance of being brutally slain.
Going through a rough patch , feeling cut off at the knees and helpless , praying for a miracle and trying to remember there's beauty in the world. Wishing i was in Italy looking at my favorite painting. That basically sums up this pile of paintings. But this mood didn't last



   

Progression

 "seacret lovers" 9x12 acrylic on canvas
"Something between you and I" 9x12 acrylic on canvas

Last night while i slept 11x14 acrylic on canvas





Tuesday, July 27, 2010

DC Arts Center 1460 Wall Mountables show 2010

From the top
I miss your face, 
Talk to the hand, man, What? no ! you don't say!,
Lovin, touchin, squeezin, St. Miss Stake
Jason's painting, Natural Born Killer

1460  wall mountables is DCAC's yearly open exhibit. Each 2'x2' space purchased can be filled with just about anything. So long as it fits in the 2x2 space. It's a fun show and I love being part of it for the past 2 years. This year I painted on 7,4x6 wooden boards but because 2 didn't make it to the show, I included an older 8x10 piece from this past year's ArtOmatic.
(i love your power animal)


Saturday, July 3, 2010

Love Connection

Once again I am hit with the "no uniformity" critique. I understand , I really do. Perhaps to some, there is no connection, but to me , it all comes from one place which makes it as uniform as it can be.
The question of 'why Optimus Prime?'(titled , Cherish is the word that i use to describe) in my last series, came up more often than not on opening night of the baby canvases show. I don't think I'll ever be the kind of artist that makes the series that obviously ties in together ,and to the critics, that is to my detriment. I guess I'm not built that way. I paint through stream of consciousness and with that, the audience can decide to connect the dots(fuzzy as they may be to some) and see that I'm actually wearing my heart on my sleeve and showing the sickness in my head and a love/obsession in my heart and choosing to share it OR just judge it on the surface. Love it or hate it or think nothing of it at all. I even feel not quite myself offering this explanation up. For those of you that know me and my sense of humor,  you get me and that's awesome. There is also the pile of you that know me (sorta) I make you scratch your head and I confuse with my sense of humor and that is also really awesome to me.
The whole 2x3 series for example is about love and a dark amusing place.
These all came from blots of paint spattered on boards and one after the other a picture came to mind , like watching clouds in the sky turn into people and things. If you know the 60's love song , 'Cherish is the word' you can be amused by my special imaginary relationship I have had with Optimus Prime. As we lay in our giant transformer sized bed together and he charms my pants off while that song plays in the background and  I look into his eyes and sigh,sigh,sigh."Oh Optimus... I love you"

I also have what some people call , an "interesting" fascination with amputees and ''it's what's for dinner" just showed up in the cloud of paint on a board. With her very vulnerable, naked, legless body just waiting to be taken advantage of and to be possessed by this part serpent, part man. How much more intimate could he be with her ,if not by eating her? What lies did he tell her to make her believe he loved her and were they even lies at all?

Simple pleasures- the girl with three decapitated heads for balloons. Oh what a strange place this came from. After A long trip to the A T & T store , I was thoroughly engaged in the size of my salesperson's ass. To begin with , I by no means have a tiny ass. I have quite the badonkey back there but this ass was special. It was quite possibly the biggest ass I have ever seen in my life. It was hypnotic and when she walked across the room I was riveted by the story of this ass. I thought to myself , I bet she could store at least 3 decapitated heads in that ass and who would ever know??? 3 unlucky fools that hold a special place in her heart(or the heart of her ass if you will) and within that sizable wonder of the world was born the simple pleasures of the girl with her 3 balloons.

and on and on it goes......There's your freaky love connection.

About Me

My Photo
Painting and family are the only things that matter