I have been painting and drawing for as long as I can remember. Growing up in Argentina, I was always attracted to art. I earned several awards while I was in elementary and high school in Buenos Aires. That pushed me to attend classes with my former art teacher, Mr. Alberto Spada, while attending university.

In the spring of 1999, when I arrived in the Bay Area, I began to study art again. I enrolled in an art studio where I found myself painting scenes and situations from my home country: the wide, open landscapes, sedate and nostalgic interiors of local cafes, the interlinked torsos of local tango dancers, and a variety of perspectives of the busy and frenetic Buenos Aires skyline.

In June 2001 (with two other local artists), I presented 16 pieces during East Bay Open Studios. The acknowledgement from the visitors was overwhelming! Fellow job companions and friends came, as well as people that I had never met. During this exhibit, I was able to show a great variety of themes. The favorites among the people were those inspired by the scenic Argentine Pampas.

In fall of 2002, I began taking classes with Bay Area artist Larry Robinson through UC Berkeley Extension. This has provided an opportunity to work with a varied group of artists and learn from a variety of different strengths and styles. Through weekly classes and group critiques, I continue to grow as an artist, challenging myself to create new visions. This artistic group created Fresh Paint, which was an opportunity to share our daily work with each other, our friends and family and the public.

I showed my art annually at the Thornhill Coffee House in Montclair every fall from 2000 until 2006. In addition to participating in the East Bay Open Studios, I’ve participated in the San Francisco Open Studios and exhibited at La Casa de la Cultura de San Isidro in Buenos Aires, Tango Gelato in San Francisco, Montclair Gallery in Oakland, A Different Day Gallery in Albany and other coffee houses and restaurants in the Bay Area.

At the school where I teach PE, the principal, together with the Parents Committee, proposed that I start teaching art to the children in 2002. I accepted with pleasure! Not only would I be teaching Physical Education, but art: I loved the idea! Since I began teaching art, I can approach each student differently. I get to work with the students in a very different environment. I give them confidence to create, and they inspire me with their spontaneity.

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