Art Gallery

Ernesto Apomayta offers Explanation of Mediums, Paints, & Techniques Used by Artists

By Ernesto Apomayta

Special Types of Mediums
Rice paper is a very delicate medium with lots of natural imperfections that lend beauty and character to the painting. Some rice paper has flecks, sparkle, gold, and silver incorporated within the paper. After painting, the rice paper is mounted to another sheet of rice paper to form a backing.

Silk fabric is used as a medium for painting. It comes in various colors such as white, gold and greenish gold. It is very durable, but difficult to paint on. The painter must have lots of patience. He must paint over and over with the natural inks to create depth and strength of color. The fabric tends to absorb color rapidly. Silk is a medium of the Royalty; it creates a background of softness and elegance to any painting.

Explanation of Natural Inks
The ancient people of Aztecs, Mayans, and Incans all used natural inks. The Chinese also have used natural inks for thousands of years. Natural inks are non toxic, versatile and can be used to create different effects on various mediums such as rice paper, silk, and cotton paper. The colors are brilliant and as varied as nature. Even today it is possible to see these brilliant natural inks still well preserved in ancient artifacts of Central, South America, and Asian Countries such as China and Japan.

Paintings with natural inks can last for 1000's of years. Natural inks are very color fast and resistant to the sun and water. Even if a painting with natural inks gets wet, the inks will not run. The black inks are prepared from the carbon of pine trees that are 400 to 500 years old mixed with distilled water and a binding agent. The color pigments are made from various insects or parts of plants like the bark or flowers of plants. For example, one type of red ink and turquoise ink are made from different parts of cacti. The use of natural inks revives an ancient tradition of many world cultures. The natural inks create dynamic and colorful pieces of art work that will hold their color and beauty for years to come.

Styles of Paintings
Ernesto Apomayta uses numerous styles and techniques in his paintings. True to the symbols/calligraphy of the Incans and the calligraphy of the Chinese he paints with the movements, order, balance, and rhythms of these writing techniques. Some are with broad strokes and openness of movement while others are fine detailed lines but all honor the rules of calligraphy and the concepts of Feng Shui. On some his brush may carry more than one color to create a blend of colors. All of the colors he uses are mixed by him from the five basic core colors of the color palate.

Some of his techniques are based on ancient techniques that he has revived in his paintings. Many of the birds, flowers, and butterflies are painted with what he calls a high "stress technique" which is done by layering transparent paint over and over to create depth and dimension. Later with a very fine brush the tiny detail is painted.
This technique is very time consuming but the result is unbelievably beautiful.

Other paintings are abstracts that express a spiritual message and the beauty and harmony of nature while leaving it up to the mind to interpret the message.

About Ernesto Apomayta
Born and raised in Puno, Peru, Ernesto Apomayta was identified as an artistic prodigy at the tender age of five. As a boy, Apomayta was first influenced and inspired by the natural marvels surrounding the humble home he shared with his family. In close proximity to shimmering Lake Titicaca, the striking beauty of the Andes and the awe-inspiring Incan ruins of his ancestors, Apomayta was spiritually compelled to express his wonder visually through his paintbrush.   A direct ancestor of the legendary photographer, Martin Chambi, Apomayta derived inspiration from the same native influences and his legacy that encouraged Apomayta to fulfill his own artistic destiny.

To view many of Ernesto Apomayta's pieces of artwork please visit
www.apomaytaart.com for full information on Mr. Apomayta

Picasso, pronounced pih KAH soh, Pablo (1881-1973), was the dominant figure in the art of the 1900's. Although best known for his paintings, Picasso also produced sculptures, drawings, prints, and ceramics. He was highly imaginative and original, borrowing from historical examples and creating new styles. Picasso not only created enduring works of art but also expanded our definition of what art could be. His art was very influential among artists of his time as well as among later artists.

In his Early career. Picasso was born in Malaga, Spain. His earliest works show that he was technically skilled in drawing and painting by the age of 15. In the late 1890's, the young painter became involved with a group of artists and intellectuals in Barcelona. He made his first trip to Paris, then the center of painting, in 1900. About this time, Picasso was experimenting with a number of established styles, including impressionism, pointillism, and symbolism, three important art movements of the late 1800's.

Picasso's first original style has been called the Blue Period (1901-1904). The paintings of this period evoke feelings of sadness and alienation through the depiction of forlorn people in shades of blue. The Old Guitarist (1903) is a painting from the Blue Period.

In 1904, Picasso moved to France, where he lived until his death. He turned to the theme of the circus, painting in a style that was warmer in color and more optimistic in mood than the Blue Period. This style became known as the Rose Period (1904-1906) because of the rose shades that characterized the paintings.

In 1907, Picasso painted Les Demoiselles d'Avignon, a landmark in art. This picture marked a decisive break with traditional notions of beauty and harmony in art. The five nude female figures in the painting are jagged and distorted. Their masklike faces reflect Picasso's interest in Iberian and African sculptures. The inspiration of primitive art, first demonstrated in Les Demoiselles d'Avignon, became a major influence in the art of the 1900's. The breakup of the five female figures into planes and sharp edges led to the development of cubism, a style that was pioneered by Picasso and the French painter Georges Braque.

By 1912, Picasso was incorporating pieces of wallpaper, newspaper print, postage stamps, and other materials in his paintings. This type of work, called collage, further called into question the boundaries between art and reality. See COLLAGE.

Later career. After World War I (1914-1918), Picasso moved from cubism to a style derived from classical art, characterized by huge and stately figures. By the late 1920's, he had turned to a flat, cubist-related style. In these works, he concentrated mainly on two themes: the artist and model, and the bullfight.

The masterpiece of this period is Guernica (1937). This mural painting expresses the terror of the bombing of the town of Guernica during the Spanish Civil War (1936-1939).

Following World War II (1939-1945), Picasso's work became less political and more gentle in feeling. He returned to historical examples for inspiration in his paintings. He made several versions of works by earlier artists. One important series of such paintings represents his interpretation of Las Meninas, a painting by Spanish artist Diego Velazquez in 1656.

For other examples of Picasso's art, see the following articles in the print version of The World Book Encyclopedia: Animal (People and animals); Chicago (picture: The Chicago Picasso); Don Quixote (picture).

Additional resources Beardsley, John. Pablo Picasso. Abrams, 1991. Daix, Pierre. Picasso: Life and Art. HarperCollins, 1993. Heslewood, Juliet. Introducing Picasso. Little, Brown, 1993. Younger readers. Lyttle, Richard B. Pablo Picasso. Atheneum, 1989. Muhlberger, Richard. What Makes a Picasso a Picasso? Viking, 1994. Richardson, John. A Life of Picasso. Random Hse., 1991-. Multivolume work. ---- end of article ----