Every morning when leaving my 8am yoga class, I pass in front of the windows of Gallery Shoal Creek.  Even though I am just passing by, and the gallery is closed, I am always mesmerized by the paintings in the current exhibition by artist Rene Alvarado.  The reverent and iconic feeling of the Madonna inspired pieces are so beautiful, and also comforting and reminiscent.

“I am from a small village – El Manantial, Coahuila – just outside Torreon, Mexico, and came to the U.S. as a shy seven year old. In the eleven years that I have been painting professionally, I have come to realize that my work is defined both by my familial roots in northern Mexico and by the subtle, mystical environment of my adopted home in West Texas. My creative process is immersed in this dual identity; I paint what I feel, that which is me. You will see on canvas the richness of my grandparents’ folk tales alongside the adventures of the ‘new life’ created by my hardworking immigrant parents. Through symbolism, metaphors, and pictorial language, I tell my story.” – Rene Alvarado, 2004 via Gallery Shoal Creek

Rene’s pieces remind me of an artist I discovered {and became obsessed with} while studying Art History in Tuscany, Pontormo.  More on him tomorrow!  Enjoy

all images via Gallery Shoal Creek

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