Newsletter #008
Hello, Everyone!
I took a week off, but now we're back. It has been a weird couple of weeks to be honest and, to honor that weirdness, I'd like to give some insight to how Mad is the Madman behind all this Madness.
As an Artist, I'm certainly not the archetype of what that entails. I don't enjoy being in the spotlight, my face is normally hidden for the most of my social media presence, I'm not out there mingling with my peers, I don't seek for validation from everyone, if not just a very small roster of people I've admired through my path. No, I'm not an anonymous artist, I just rather have my work speak for me. I'm simply the face behind it all. Seeing the pieces I make, watching the projects reach completion, that's more than enough reward for me, but it doesn't pay the bills. This leads to me working a lot harder to get some sort of compensation, like a fetch quest in a video game...
In this particular moment of my life, "the Quest" is reaching sales of the new book. So, allow me to thank all of you who have bought it so far, as it really helps move the path forward. Please, remember to leave your reviews on Goodreads. Turns out that if I get good sales, the odds of finally moving the story forward are much better. Gaia 1 is a pretty big project, and considering that the whole saga has been under creation for the past 24 years, it is surely a dream of mine to finally get all these books out. To give you an idea of what's to come, Gaia 0 is under 200 pages, but Gaia 1 is around 800 so far, without the illustrations. That gave me the idea of maybe releasing Gaia 1 in two parts, both at the same time. That being said, Gaia's 2 through 6 are also around the same volume so they'll probably also be divided in two parts. Add to that maybe four to five books around the same volume as Gaia 0, and that makes about 18 books total for the saga. It is certainly not a small project, and could be considered my Magnus Opus.
It is, however, not the only project in the works. As I've mentioned before, the next book in the agenda is "7531", eight short stories founded on the principles of grief and its five levels or stages. The illustrations have really been taking a toll on me. The image I share today is a work in progress, hinting to where this is going. As you can see, it is crosshatching galore.The process has been lengthy and it keeps dragging out. I really hope the book won't be delayed, but we'll see how it all unfolds. The wheel keeps turning as things keep happening, and nothing can stop it now so, let's embrace the results.
And now...
The Shared Madness
This month is a bit slow on the events so far, but more will come and we'll keep sharing them for you. Here's what's up so far.
Events
El Arañazo
"100 Mil Poetas por el Cambio"
Centro Cultural de España
Santo Domingo, RD
An afternoon with global impact. The initiative didn't begin in the island, but it surely reverberated in it, and El Arañazo's cultural team took it upon themselves to honor it. Open mic, local books and authors, a big day for poetry in general. There will be discussions on the part poetry plays in the social, ecological, economical and political aspects of the world we share and live in. Very much recommended for all literature enthusiasts.
Doors open 4:30PM, September 21st.
Julianny Vólquez
"Opening Reception and Artist Talk"
Artpace Studio
San Antonio, Texas, United States.
As part of the Artists in Residence program, our fellow Dominican artist, Julianny Vólquez joins two US artists in preparing the Fall 2024 show for this gallery. They will be having an event to welcome the artists into the residency program and have a talk with the crowd and media. Go see what they have in store!
Doors open 6:00PM, September 12th
Newsletter Highlight
Paula Saneaux
Dominican Artist living in the United States.
This is an interesting artist to highlight. A sort of veteran at this point, one that doesn't fear learning new things, because even though she's been in this business for a while, having graduated Parsons almost 20 years ago, she now pursues an MFA in Studio Arts at the MICA in Baltimore.
Her many collections study the female form, always placing it as the main character, interacting with emotion, duress... life. Her newest works deal with issues like mental health and physical illness, yet her entire portfolio is filled with the feminine experience and struggle. This portrayal leads to a deep conversation over the different aspects of what it means to be a woman and the empathy (or lack-there-of) that society offers to said experience.
Technically speaking, her work is very clean and with a focus on realism. Kind of leaning into the idea that the uncanny valley line is inexistent and, therefore, reality is what we make of it. In other words, her style makes me want to question the status quo. Though the portraits are certainly beautiful in the visual sense, they carry a much deeper message than the aesthetics suggest. Playing with color and chroma to help in the expression of the subjects, while portraying them with the utmost care and diligence. Her style is very powerful.
On her website you can see for yourself the amazing works this genius has concocted. Browse through her library of works and let yourself be taken by the images. Surely your mind will be aroused into thought.
You can also show her some love on Instagram @paulasaneaux.
That is all for this newsletter. Have a wonderful week, remember to join theFamily if you haven't yet and, to continue growing the community, we also have The Madness Broadcasted on Instagram with some exclusive interactions and first-looks at the things we have cooking. Never forget to embrace #theMadness in you!
Irie bless!
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