art of the day – Rafi And Klee Studios

Posted on November 9, 2020November 9, 2020 by Artist Rafi Perez — 2 Comments

Surreally Complementary Group Art Show

This is surreally happening! It is that time again for some amazing art in your inbox from artists all over this blue dot. Below you will find pieces created for the Surreally Complimentary Collab Lab Challenge.

Parameter 1 – Incorporate at least one surrealistic element in your piece (you can go full-on surreal or just have one element).
Parameter 2 – Utilize only red and yellow (and any colors you can make with those, as well as values) as your color palette.
Parameter 3 – Include two contrasting/complementary elements in your piece (these can be imagery, textures, finishes, subjects, materials, etc).

I am excited to share these with you because they really push some boundaries. If you are interested in any of the pieces below that are for sale, please contact the artist. Enjoy this awesome show.

Ellen Reiser

Ellen Reiser

Is It For Sale
Yes
Price
$150.00
Artist Statement:
Title: Fried Chicken and Waffles with Maple Syrup

A surrealist study in yellow, red, black and white. In this day of social unrest, sharing a common meal seems to be a good way to bring people together. There are many recipes on the web for this delicious meal. Medium: Digital Drawing with Adobe Fresco. Find me at www.starrynightdiner.com

Chicken and Waffles on Wikipedia:
The exact origins of this dish are unknown, although several theories about its origin exist. Waffles entered American cuisine in the 1600s with European colonists. The food’s popularity saw a notable boost after 1789 with Thomas Jefferson’s purchase of four waffle irons in Amsterdam.

In the early 1800s, hotels and resorts outside Philadelphia served waffles with fried catfish. Such establishments also served other dishes like fried chicken, which gradually became the meat of choice due to catfish’s limited, seasonal availability. Waffles served with chicken and gravy were noted as a common Sunday dish among the Pennsylvania Dutch by the 1860s. A 1901 memoir recalled a tavern in East Liberty, Pennsylvania, well known for “suppers of spring chickens and waffles.” By the end of the 19th century, the dish was a symbol of Pennsylvania Dutch Country, brought on in part by its association with tourism.

Michel Belisle

Michel Belisle

Is It For Sale
No
Artist Statement:
In the spirit of the “Cadavre exquis.” This piece is devoid of any meaning or raison-d’être. It simply virtually “is.”
(digital collage)

Other unrelated elements can be found at https://belisssle.com

Everett Stanton

Everett Stanton

Is It For Sale
No
Artist Statement:
This Collab Lab is actually a performance that can be viewed at: https://youtu.be/3WJJLmOxTSw

Paper Straws Puppets and Studio is the dream project of artist, Everett Stanton. Ev deeply loves making, playing with, and filming puppets for all sorts of media and art projects. He hopes that his work truly brings pleasure to anyone who sees it. It is his main goal in life to build a group of like-minded artists who can live their dream though the creation of new, exciting and thoughtful work in the world. Thanks for taking the time to enjoy the video!

~Ev

Christopher Doll

Christopher Doll

Is It For Sale
SOLD
Artist Statement
They come from miles away, together, unquestioning their purpose. Compelled by anger, shame, and expectation. The visage can be seen for miles but they don’t recognize its form until it’s too late to turn back. Gazes lowered, lest they see the true horror, their last walk to the steps guided by the others who also hear the call. A masked sentinel is the last they see before they enter. None ever leave. christopher-doll.com

Lee Edward Evans

Lee Edward Evans

Is It For Sale
Yes
Price
$70.00
Artist Statement
Mirage

(16 X12) mixed Media (acrylic and oil pastels)

This piece was inspired by Egyptian heritage and the optical illusion know as a mirage. I wanted to capture the essence and Embodiment of the desert in the form of a goddess. The surrealism landscape complements this notion adds an over exaggerated form of a mirage.
For more information or more artwork please check out the link below.

https://www.facebook.com/Levansarts

Dana Ellis

Dana Ellis

Is It For Sale
Yes
Price
$150.00
Artist Statement
“Revealed”
11″X 14″ Acrylic and Oil
Women exude real beauty, but with a stroke of a brush what lies beneath is where her true beauty emerges.
www.danaellisart.com

Lee Suzanne Jordan

Lee Suzanne Jordan

Is It For Sale
Yes
Price
$275.00
Artist Statement
Youth vs. Wisdom uses a limited color palette and symbolic images to explore the concepts of secrets, growth, imagination and transformation. This is a surreal self-portrait. I included many creatures and objects that have personal meaning for me. Octopuses are one of my favorite creatures. They are smart, curious, caring, and creative. Pythons are dangerous but can also represent knowledge, healing and growth. One of the random elements I chose as part of the challenge was a bark texture, which I used on the face to represent time and contrast with the youthful side. On her left side, the figure is youthful and her hair transforms into flowering branches. On her right, she ages and her hair transforms into bare winter branches. I have mixed feelings about aging, and this Collab gave me different ways to explore the power and fragility of it. Medium: Acrylic on Birchwood, 11x14x1. website: www.lsjart.com

Rudi Bloes

Rudi Bloes

Is It For Sale
Yes
Price
$15.00
Artist Statement
This is not a burning forest.

4.3 x 4.3 inches
aquarel and white ink.

website: https://www.rudibloes.be on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/rudibloesart/

Kyle Wood

Kyle Wood

Is It For Sale
Yes
Price
$750.00
Artist Statement
Title: To Observe And yet Disregard. Contrasting: “to observe” and “to disregard”. Some realities do not make sense here, so you have to disregard them to observe what is going on in this painting. Using only red and yellow with black and white as values, I created this image with chalk, colored pencil and acrylics on wood 24″ X 24″. This is apart of my dreamscape series that I am developing. The human forms are brought in to help you enter into this unreal world and navigating through various conflicting perspectives. I created the frame to allow the elements freedom to go where ever they please. Prints are available on my site: https://www.kylewoodcreations.com

cRuz kAi

cRuz kAi
Email
cruzkaihawaii@gmail.com
Is It For Sale
No
Artist Statement
Surreally Complementary Collab-lab October 2020
Rogue Artist – cRuz kAi
Title “Mellow Day 0.1”
Canvas 9” x 12”
Fluid & Soft Body Acrylics
Perimeter Colors – Yellow & Red / Values – Black & White

Megan McFadden

Megan McFadden

Is It For Sale
Yes
Price
$85.00
Artist Statement
I called this piece Toxic to me it means sometimes toxicity can go both ways. The mediums I used were ink and colored pencils on 9×12 Vellum Bristol Board.
The rest of my art is at www.instagram/azurasmallpaws

Heather Graye

Heather Graye

Is It For Sale
Yes
Price
$250.00
Artist Statement
“The Messenger”
24×30″ Oil over acrylic on museum-wrapped canvas
This piece was created to explore the nature of vision- both physical and spiritual.
Connect with the artist on Instagram @grayefineart or via email GrayeRN@gmail.com

Marilyn Savage

Marilyn Savage

Is It For Sale
No
Artist Statement
I created this stained glass piece for the Collab Lab but it does double duty for Halloween. It meets the color parameter for yellow and red. And it meets the parameter for two contrasting textures. It’s hard to see in this photo but the yellow glass is textured with tiny lines and the black glass is smooth. I went rogue and didn’t meet the third parameter which was to add a surreal element. This is the first piece I’ve made with decorative solder and I really like the look. The moon is a 9” diameter and the bat wings spread 13” from tip to tip. My website is gabrielleartsnv.com

Arzhela F

Arzhela F
Email
arzhelaf@gmail.com

Is It For Sale
No
Artist Statement
This art challenge included many firsts for me as a beginning painter. Not only was it my first challenge, but also a lot of time was spent planning the painting, including using thumbnails to test color palette decisions, and test painting different parts. There were some hard lessons learned, specifically about the limits of overworking the paper (which can be seen most clearly on the chameleon). The entire painting was about 60 hours of work, and has shown me possibilities beyond what I thought I was capable of producing.

One parameter of the challenge was the limited palette. A particular shade of yellow on my palette (Da Vinci Hansa Yellow Deep) glows like sunlight. It inspired me to create a painting based around a very bright planet/star/space object.

We are in a stark landscape with only a few trees. A weathered frame outlines a portal where a space traveler is reaching through. We see in the visor of the space traveler that their view is of a bright space object, but on our side of the portal, we see that it’s a ball of light to which a chameleon is calmly clinging.

My hope is to invite the viewer to ponder that both realities exist from different viewpoints. It’s worth considering the perspectives of others, to attempt to “walk in another’s shoes.” The chameleon illustrates the patient mindset needed to observe the other’s intentions. The space traveler is reaching through the portal, illustrating how we are always seeking a deeper understanding of what is in front of us.

Painted with Da Vinci professional watercolors on 9×12” Fluid 100 paper.

D. Mark

D. Mark
Email
fern7220@gmail.com

Is It For Sale
Yes
Price
$75.00
Artist Statement
This challenge has been great fun! I painted a large old tree that still has some life in it and the egg as major components. The symbolic courageous old tree provides many things including food, fuel, and shelter. The egg stands for new growth, rebirth, and new life. The meaning here implies hope for the future.
The surrealist elements include a suspended spatula with a fried egg, egg fruit, and egg flowers hanging on the tree.
Why did I create this art? Simple-I love nature and I wanted to participate.
In this painting, I applied a very thick matte acrylic medium on the under the painted tree trunk, as I wanted it very textured. The old tree contrasts with the new eggs and egg flowers growing on the tree.
The creation of my art includes experimentation with different methods and materials in watercolor, mixed media, and acrylics. My style changes as I enjoy painting landscapes, whimsical art, and abstracts.

Title: Egg Tree
Painted with acrylics on 11×14″ stretched canvas.

Kelly Sterr

Kelly Sterr

Is It For Sale
Yes
Price
$400.00
Artist Statement
I haven’t yet given it a name but this painting signifies that in a heated situation those with the warmest heart, no matter what they shield themselves with, will always lose against someone who is cold hearted.

Sara Vicky Neville

Sara Vicky Neville
Email
Saraartist1508@yahoo.com
Is It For Sale
Yes
Price
$600.00
Artist Statement
Hindu warrior goddess. That she is all women. connected to reality the element of fire. .real and unreal at the same time as all in this universe. ..40″X 34″ acrylic on canvas
No website currently. contact. For other available images: Saraartist1508@yahoo.com
Peace and Love

Jason Boushard

Jason Boushard

Is It For Sale
No
Artist Statement
I have always been a bit of a joker but having served 22 years in the military I have to be able to turn it off at a moment’s notice. The mouth moved to the eye and the eye moved to the mouth represents the shock my sailors would have the first time they saw the change. I think feeling like you can have fun at work is a huge factor in having a good work experience. My key things that would set off the change are being unsafe or disrespecting your shipmates regardless of rank. There is a place and time for everything.

Klee Angelie

Klee Angelie

Is It For Sale
No
Artist Statement
The Unwearable Ring. Objects like the one I’ve created here are highly upsetting to me. You know the ones, they’re often referred to as “mock objects”. Things that don’t function as they appear to. Things with which you cannot do the very action that the object beckons you to do. Pockets that are sewn shut, zippers that don’t zip, tables that look like a trunk but don’t open, musical instruments that are decorative and don’t play. Room recreations in museums that you aren’t allowed to enter. The fact that the bizarro opposite world in the mirror is entirely inaccessible… So I created a ring, carefully sized it and made sure it was comfortable to wear, meticulously set the center stone, and then made it completely unwearable. I can’t hold this ring in my hand without feeling that anxiety of wanting to slide it on my finger, and it cannot sit properly on a chain as a pendant. So the contrast for me here, is the pleasure of creating a piece of jewelry using materials and techniques I love, juxtaposed with the end result being something that I find very displeasing.

Melissa Peacock

Melissa Peacock

Is It For Sale
No
Artist Statement
This is actually an art journal page. Rude cats bottle up their prey, on display, where other rude cats can watch and harshly judge from their usual safe and comfortable impunity.

find me on youtube/twitter/instagram: @yellowmelle

Bonnie Friedline

Bonnie Friedline

Is It For Sale
Yes
Price
$275.00
Artist Statement
“Confession” 18×24 mixed media on canvas. I left home (Virginia) when I was 18 and have lived all over the east coast from South Carolina to Vermont. Currently I am 35 and living in Pennsylvania. I don’t necessarily love it and maybe it’s the pandemic, but I am incredibly homesick. Not only do I miss my family and friends, I miss knowing people for real. I have found in my career (Radiologic Technologist) that we are so busy it’s hard to get a good conversation in to really get to know my coworkers. Beyond the “mask” you wear to the public. Further, I am so exhausted after work that I just want to go home to my husband and kids and hopefully get to create something. I am tired of the casual “hi, how are you?” conversations that I have 50 times a day with complete strangers.
The contrasting element of my painting is the concept that what you see on the outside is not always what is in the inside. I wish we could so easily peel our layers away and reveal the hard crap/trauma of our lives instead of just “I’m good! How are you?” I’m not good. We are not good. We have pain, and holding it, hiding it makes it hurt so much more.

If you are interested in any of these amazing pieces and you can’t get a hold of the amazing artist who created it, contact us and we will try to get you in touch with them.

Posted on April 27, 2020April 27, 2020 by Artist Rafi Perez — Leave a comment

ARTROVERTS! UNITE! Being Successful As An Artist

Recently I designed a t-shirt that says “ARTROVERTS UNITE! We’re here! We’re uncomfortable! We want to go home and create something.”

If you had asked me a few years ago when I started selling art, what it takes to be a successful artist… my answer would have been simple: the ability to produce good art.

I imagined that my artistic life would consist solely of me working in my studio, producing strokes of genius.

Art collectors would magically appear (poof) to buy art and leave. I would rarely have to leave my studio, and I would never have to go out into the “real” world. I would never again have to go to any social gathering I didn’t want to go to. This belief was clearly absurd, but I had all kinds of silly ideas in my brain jar of what being an artist was.

Now, almost a decade into it, I realize the subject of what it takes to be successful as an artist is much more intricate. It’s not just about producing art, although that is a BIG part of it. It’s about putting yourself out there again and again. Falling on your face and accepting rejection as part of the process.

Had I known all these years, my fear would have either gotten the better of me, or I would have blazed my own trail long ago. I would have become an ARTROVERT.

I love making art. I love being in my studio. Creativity is what keeps me from losing my shit, makes my life meaningful, and encourages me to jump out of bed in the morning even when the world seems to be amid a crap-storm.

The thing I didn’t understand when I first started was how much being an artist would require me to stretch myself. Or maybe I knew, which is why for most of my life, I didn’t pursue an art career. I stayed comfortably in the shallow end.

I had a friend that used to tell me that even our dream jobs will have roles we don’t like but which we accept so we can do the parts we love.

To be an artist, we have to accept the discomfort of being perpetually vulnerable, having no financial security, and being rejected often.

This involves putting yourself out there in front of the world… Which can be terrifying.

So How did you do it Rafi? How did you get over your fear?

I decided to take it step by step and not try to eat the entire enchilada all at once. I realized it wasn’t all or nothing, I could do it in chunks. I knew those chunks were going to hit on some major comfort zones. I also stopped comparing myself to where other artists were at in their careers.

Being an ARTROVERT is all about accepting the fact that it is OK that you don’t want to be social, and not punishing yourself for it. It means that you trust in communicating with your art and don’t concern yourself so much with how people see you.

You’re an artist, you are weird, and awkward sometimes, and that is OK. Artroverts love their studio, they love creating, and they love their quiet time. An artrovert also understands that if you are not putting yourself out there, you are not communicating your art with the world… so you show up.

To be an artist, it is quite simple. Create art, put it out there, and persist through the bullshit of your own mind or other people. Keep creating, keep showing up, and through that experience, you will let your weird artistic personality shine into the world along with your art.

Be unapologetically awkward, be creative, be an ARTROVERT.

Listen to our podcast below, where Klee and I talk about being ARTROVERTS.

And Here is A Quick Message From Some Random Sponsor (sorry 🙂 not sorry)

Posted on August 12, 2019August 11, 2019 by Artist Rafi Perez — Leave a comment

Stop Making Excuses: 10 Excuses I Made And Why

Back in the day, making excuses was like breathing air for me. I had some great ones, in fact they were so good that I didn’t realize I was even making excuses.

With that in mind, let’s break down 10 of the many excuses that I used to make, and tell me if they sound familiar.

Excuse #1: There’s just not enough time…

I still use this one every once in a while. What I found is that when I make this excuse I’m just not feeling enthusiastic. Usually, at the core of this excuse is the fear that I’m not good enough to do the thing that I’m claiming I don’t have the time to do. The moment I feel overwhelmed by lack of time, I can talk myself out of anything. Sometimes it may be something that I genuinely don’t want to do, and in that situation I would rather cancel the project than keep it rattling around in my brain jar. But when it is something you really want to do, but your claim to non-fame is that you don’t have enough time, ever… then I would think twice about that excuse.

In fact, if I look at my behavior in moments of overwhelm, I actually become less productive, which causes there to be less time, and even more overwhelm.

Excuse #2: There’s just not enough money…

I find that no matter how much money I have in the bank, whether it is thousands, or negative somethings these words will blurt out of my mouth. To be honest, I have a weird relationship with money that I have been working on throughout the last few years. I think it is important that we look at our relationship with money because it is either one of two things: a good relationship or a bad one. In other words, if you feel like a victim to green pieces of paper then it’s a bad one. Most of my baggage when it comes to money is partly from poor money mentality in my household when I was growing up, but like most relationships, it is something you can improve once you look a little deeper into yourself.

Excuse #3: I don’t have an education…

This was my number one excuse when it came to pursuing art as a career… well, it was one of many number one excuses. There are numerous multi-millionaires and billionaires who have nothing more than a high school education. Some don’t even have that. Yet, I spent a lot of time in my life wasting my precious brain power believing this gibberish. I’m not knocking education, there’s value in it. If you want to pursue an education, pursue it. If you want to be an excellent brain surgeon, definitely go to school. If you want to sharpen your creative skills by taking classes, by all means… but don’t let an education, or lack thereof, define what you can accomplish with your talents.

Excuse #4: I’m just too old or too young…

I’m old enough to have used both of these excuses… blah blah blah. Right now, it’s the too old excuse. I’m too old to be in a band, I’m too old to do YouTube, I’m to old to make a significant impact in the new generation of humans… blah blah blah. While you may not see me on American Idol anytime soon (they have a no geezer age limit of 28 which I find outdated and discriminatory, but whatevs…) I am most certainly young enough to excel at whatever I gosh darned please, as long as I’m breathing.

Bonus Excuse: I don’t know how…

This is an excuse I rarely use because I am very dogged at figuring stuff out. I am a stubborn figurer-outer. This means I make mistake after mistake after mistake, until I get it. I simply don’t like not knowing how to do something, or being afraid to try. This has, so far, worked out in my favor.

Excuse #6: I just can’t change…

This used to be true for me, I was pretty set in my ways and the words “That’s just who I am!” would spout out of my mouth as an excuse to justify some stupid thing I did. It wasn’t until I started thinking long term, determining whether that’s how I wanted to be and live in ten, twenty years, that I realized perhaps being willing to evolve is to my benefit. When you think about the cycle of stubborn habits repeating time and time again over the course of twenty years, you get a fire under your but to start that change immediately.

Excuse #7: I’m afraid to fail…

I think we get taught this stupid thing in school… “Do everything you can to succeed, failure is the mark of laziness or lack of skill.” I’m sure that might seem like sound logic to those who have never tried to do something that hasn’t been done before. But, if you want to blaze your own trail, you are going to have to fail several times in order to reach anything resembling success. I think we should embrace failure, learn from it, and plan ahead so we know how to use the failure to do it better the next time.

Excuse #8: It’s just not the right time…

Yeah, if these little words pop out of your mouth then you should just swat them down mid-air like a fly, before they reach anyone’s ear holes. I knew a wonderful woman who was in her 90’s that fused the following words into my brain “If not now, when?” and I get it, sometimes it’s just not the right time to take action. However, more often than not this is just a lame excuse.

Excuse #9: I am not ready…

Sometimes you will hear this come from someone who is standing at the edge of a pool, about to jump in and they say “I’m not ready!” when actually they are merely paralyzed by fear. There they are, standing there in their swim suit, the water is good… how much more ready can you get? There’s nothing wrong with planning for the future or taking the time to lay out a clear plan of action. However, if planning is all you do, this could indicate that there might be fears preventing you from moving forward. Understand this and you will overcome your need for over-planning… in due time.

Excuse #10: I’m just not inspired…

This is a big one, yet I find that most of the time when these words come out of my mouth it has more to do with laziness than inspiration. I know that’s harsh, but it’s true. Sometimes I’m not inspired because I’m too busy feeling sorry for myself and clogging up my brain circuits with all of the above excuses. Whatever the cause, when this excuse crops up I know it’s time to take a leaf blower to whatever doom cloud is lurking overhead, and start fresh.

Sometimes we get so absorbed in making excuses about how things didn’t turn out the way we had expected, that we forget to focus on making the best of every situation — no matter what the outcome.

So go out and make excuses for how awesome you are. Make excuses for how you have more than enough time, and how it is the right time for you, and how failure is no big deal. You can say and do anything you want, just pay closer attention to the words that come out of the hole in the front of your face.

Posted on February 25, 2019 by Artist Rafi Perez — Leave a comment

Feeling Powerful In Three Steps

I created the “EMPOWERMENT” series based on self empowerment, as a tool to be used as a daily reminder. This is my social commentary on the way that people talk to themselves or the way they see themselves. I believe we all have the ability to feel confident and strong, but for the most part we have made it a habit to talk to ourselves in a way that makes us feel powerless.

In reality, personal empowerment is not something we feel, it’s something we do. Our sense of empowerment is a reflection of the increased personal value and self-worth that comes out of our experience of having real influence in our lives.

Empowering ourselves and creating change, which ultimately leads to the increased sense of personal value and self-worth we call the “feeling” of empowerment, involves some very specific steps.

Stop comparing yourself to others. Start improving yourself

People tend to compare themselves to others because at times it will make them feel better about their lives or something they are trying to do. For example I know a lot of artists that feel better about their ability to create art because they compare their art to stuff they consider inferior. This is a double edged blade, because they will also compare their work to other work that they consider vastly superior. When they do this it leads to a devastating realization that their work isn’t that great. The truth is, nothing is better or worse than anything else, it’s just our perspective which can change.

When you resist comparing yourself, you will be less engaged in judgement, and self-judgement, YOU WILL focus instead on your work – this alone will be empowering.

Take responsibility.

Taking responsibility means simply to be responsible for the way you respond to a situation. Most importantly, no matter how much you want to blame someone else for the way you feel, it’s important to remember that no matter what anyone does, you are ultimately responsible for how you respond to the given situation.

There are many small opportunities throughout the day to take responsibility for your emotions, play around with the concept. This will put the power back in your hands and no longer let your emotions fluctuate depending on the people around you.

Do Something. Take Action!

One of the best things you can do to feel empowered is take action. Think about all those things you wish you did or that you want to do, but maybe you feel lazy or unmotivated. Whenever you don’t take action on it, it can have a devastating effect on your self esteem. Make it a habit to just take action and stop thinking about doing it.

Taking action means remembering to have fun, at least that’s what it means to me. Have fun!

There are lots of ways to empower yourself and create positive change in your life. These are just a few things I try to keep in mind daily, or remind myself if ever I’m feeling less than empowered. Above all, remember that you are a beautiful luminous being, and go out and rock this life thing!

Posted on February 20, 2019 by Artist Rafi Perez — 2 Comments

Phoenix Reborn

It shouldn’t be any surprise to anyone that my favorite concept and mystical beast is the phoenix. The symbolic meaning of the phoenix is about renewal. The phoenix is about overcoming darkness and rising to the challenge to become powerful and succeed over adversity.

It’s a symbolism that I have used a few times, but never like this piece that beautifully displays the body language of both anguish and freedom.

I wanted to create a piece that showed the transitional moment of someone taking a leap of faith into the unknown. This leap is taken with complete abandon and freedom.

Several years ago I took a leap of faith that was terrifying. I remember thinking that I had to forget everything I thought I knew, because all those thoughts were telling me I was crazy. I was essentially burning the bridge to my old life, a life that was all I knew for 30 years. It wasn’t the most happy life I could live, which is why I decided to change it. This required me to hop in my car and leave all security and certainty behind… which was absolutely terrifying, yet was such a pattern interrupt in my monotonous life that I needed.

Essentially, from the ashes of my old life which had completely self destructed, I rose and felt stronger than I ever had.

The thing is, I could have stayed in my old life… there is always a way to keep things going, but I had made a decision that I wanted things to change.

I feel like the Phoenix is a powerful reminder that no matter what, you can always be reborn from the ashes of your old life.

Posted on May 24, 2018 by Artist Rafi Perez — Leave a comment

Winning Is Always An Option If You Don’t Quit

As I approached the gallery I found myself wondering how in the world I was going to get the massive sculpture I constructed up the stairs. I had somehow managed to squeeze it into my car without damaging it, which I attributed to dumb luck.

Luck seemed to be on my side that morning, considering I had pulled into a parking spot right in front of the shiny and unending staircase into the gallery.

I’ve entered the juried art competitions at Artel Gallery a handful of times with varying results. I still remember the first piece I entered, which was rejected with no particular pomp and circumstance. It was laid off to the side with the other rejects waiting for me to glumly collect it, like picking up a child from detention.

That rejection had a devastating impact on my self esteem as an artist for some time. I had just started selling my art and gaining some traction with local collectors, and it caused me to feel like I wasn’t good enough to continue masquerading as an artist.

It wasn’t until several years later that I decided to enter another piece, which didn’t get rejected.

Rafi Perez Best In Show Artel Gallery — Rafi Perez Artel Gallery

The marble steps to the gallery blazed white in the hot sun, daring me to make a move. I had managed to get the sculpture out of the car without damaging it, knocking myself in the head only once.

The only idea that my mind could seem to muster that morning was to pick up the sculpture and maneuver the stairs as quickly as possible. The sculpture isn’t necessarily heavy, it’s just awkward to carry around, because like most sculptures, I didn’t design it to be carried around.

I prepared myself at the bottom of the mountainous stairs, glanced around to make sure no one was watching, and steadied my breath. One false move and all the work and effort that went into my art would be laying in pieces on the forbidding marble steps.

After deciding to enter my art again, I got pieces into four separate shows, won best of show, and had a solo show in their alcove. I also got rejected two more times, but it didn’t have an impact on my self esteem as an artist. Some might attribute the lack of feeling dejected to the fact that I had a couple years as a career artist under my belt, but I know plenty of seasoned artists who have a difficult time with any rejection.

I don’t have difficulty with rejection because after two years of avoiding art competitions, I finally realized that you can’t win if you don’t enter; and your art is not being rejected, it simply didn’t match the taste of the juror. The thing is, that art competitions don’t matter, but if you want to win one, you are going to have to face rejection. In fact, if you want to do anything awesome or important with your art career, you are probably going to face a lot of rejection and criticism.

If you want to be safe from rejection, then don’t put yourself out there, don’t do anything different from the norm, don’t try to have a voice, and definitely don’t become an artist.

Simply because someone rejects your artwork (or whatever it may be) doesn’t mean that you are worthless. It doesn’t have anything to do with you, and never will. A lot of people avoid thinking about being rejected or losing, but in my opinion it’s a good idea to think about that worst case scenario, and face the fear in your mind.

What if my piece gets rejected? How will I feel? What does it mean?

These could be hard questions, but until you ask yourself and question the validity of your answers, you are going to keep reacting in misery to rejection. The really cool thing about exploring these questions is that you don’t have to react at all, you can respond to the situation however you like.

My answers are less dramatic and devastating since I’ve had a chance to explore this topic and really decide how I want to respond to these questions and this particular type of rejection.

What if my piece gets rejected?

Then it get’s rejected. I pick it up, bring it home and probably sell it at some point in my lifetime. Who knows, it may win a prize at some other art competition… just didn’t suit the juror this time I guess.

How will I feel?

Fine, I have other more important things to focus on.

What does this mean?

Only what I think it means. If I think I’m a failure or a reject, that’s on me. This is an opportunity for me to show myself who I am, by the way I respond. I choose to respond by saying “Well, maybe next time… I got shit to do right now.”

I glanced around one more time, held my breath, and made a run for it. I verbally counted every step as I ascended the stairs with the agility of sloth in running shoes.

Out of breath and elated that I made it to the top, I stood there gleaming in victory. I then proceeded to scrape and bang my way awkwardly through the front door, hitting my head one more time for good measure. I placed the sculpture safely in the gallery lobby, signed it in, and breathed a sigh of relief.

By the way, it was number 13 in the roster… talk about dumb luck.

I had done it. I achieved something I thought was impossible to do on my own, willing to face humiliation and rejection for something I love and believe in… my art, my sense of fun, my freedom to be me.

Had I given up, after that first rejection it would have controlled me. I would have spent the rest of my life being afraid to face rejection, and I would have been filled with “what ifs”.

I don’t believe you actually fail, even if your art doesn’t get in. Even if you get rejected, or lose… I think you only fail if you give up… because that’s the one thing you have control over.

It’s sometimes easy to give up because things might seem hopeless or hard. I didn’t think I could possibly get the sculpture to the gallery on my own, but my belief in dumb luck took over, and I decided to try.

Good thing too, I won Best Of Show.

Posted on December 4, 2017December 4, 2017 by Artist Rafi Perez — Leave a comment

Featured Artist At Jaco’s! You Are Invited!

Each month Jaco’s features a new artist whose work will hang on the walls of the restaurant for that month. The night of the reception they also have free wine tasting of that months featured wines.

So, we have featured art, a featured artist (me), and featured wine (not me, but still awesome) at the same event, sitting right on the water… and YOU are invited!

Wednesday, December 6th from 5pm – 7pm at Jaco’s – 997 S Palafox St, Pensacola, FL 32502

I’m really excited about the pieces that I created for this particular show. I created a series in groupings of 2 or 3, each with it’s own message and story, it is 14 pieces all together.

Right Of The Wishing Tree (2) — I spent a few months planning and creating for the show.

The show will run at Jaco’s until January 3rd. I hope to see you all at the reception and share a wine tasting with you.

Here is a quick preview of some of the works for the show:

Amber Sunflower (1) — Golden Sunflower Series – 30X30 mixed medium and gold leafing on gallery wrapped canvas.

Birds On A Limb 1 (1) — On A Limb Series – 30X30 mixed medium on gallery wrapped canvas.

Dreams Of A Butterfly (1) — Dreaming Metamorphosis – 18X24 mixed medium on gallery wrapped canvas.

Blue Sky Horizon (1) — Horizon Series – 30X30 mixed medium on gallery wrapped canvas.

Left Of The Wishing Tree (1) — Magic Tree – 30X30 mixed medium on gallery wrapped canvas.

Posted on March 12, 2017March 12, 2017 by Artist Rafi Perez — 1 Comment

Art Creations For Your Inbox 10

Hola you amazing person you!

I am getting ready to become a recluse for the rest of the month as I go into finishing up a very powerful and special work of art. I’ll be entering it into a prestigious international art competition, that may give me the opportunity to show work in Japan. Needless to say, I am both excited and nervous, but I’m making progress on my weird phobia of art competitions, so I’m getting close to being fearless… kinda. I’ll be sending you for information on my progress and what happens, so stay tuned.

Rafi Perez Dream Like In The Garden, may be one of the pieces entered.

We have some new creations to share with you this week, both Klee and I are super excited about it!

But before we get into that, here is an amazing quote I would like to share with you:

“An artist never really finishes his work; he merely abandons it.” Paul Valéry

This actually made me laugh a little, because it is so true. As an artist, I get the feeling that a piece is finished, but there is ALWAYS something else that can be done. I think as long as you enjoy the process, and not simply trying to get to the end of your work, you can have fun with it.

Ok, as I promised here is the art and jewelry! Enjoy!

14k gold filled Australian Fire Opal Necklace By Klee Angelie

“Opals are fascinating to me, like a bit of magic in gem form. Today, we still don’t know exactly how precious opal was formed but it’s incredible to me that it exists at all. The predominant theory of how Australian fire opal formed is this.

It’s believed that opal was formed from water containing silica running into cracks and fissures in the earth and combining with other materials. Around 30 million years ago, lots of silica was released into a solution which filled cracks in the rocks, layers in clay, and even some fossils. Some of them became precious opals. It takes approximately 5 to 6 million years for 1cm of opal to form.

Opals are made up from tiny uniformed spheres of transparent hard silica, which fit together in an orderly three dimensional frame. These tiny spheres also determine colors and patterns of opals. The size of the spheres determines the colour produced. The more orderly the structure of the spheres, the more fire the opal will have. This is what separates precious opals from common opal.

Ancient people believed that precious opal was a stone of luck, majesty, and magic… known as the “Queen of Gems” and honestly, I can’t argue with them.”

-Klee Angelie

I AM Fierce original painting by artist Rafi Perez

“The fierceness of someone who stands confident in their own determination of what the world is supposed to be, surrounds themselves by things that make them feel empowered. When someone makes it their priority to change their environment by getting rid of the things that cause them to question themselves… They are truly fierce.

This work of art is a reminder and representation of the power we have to create circumstances in our mind… and whether or not we have taken control of that power.

I created this when I was thinking of the powerful women I have known, or in history who changed the world into a brighter place, simply because they didn’t quit, because they were fierce.”

-Rafi Perez

Rustic Hammered Textured Sterling Silver Circle Necklace By Klee Angelie

“One of the oldest symbols known to us, the circle has been around since before the beginning of recorded history, representing many ideas to many cultures. Eternity, natural order, life cycles, elemental forces, sacred geometry, the universe itself.
This pendant necklace is a beautiful and simple representation of a timeless and powerful symbol. Made of solid hammer formed sterling silver and dangling beautifully between two jump rings, it has a nice weight and texture and looks amazing worn alone or layered with other necklaces.”

-Klee Angelie

Moonlight Mermaid original painting by artist Rafi Perez

“In the deep ocean of the mind, swimming through the vast pools of logic and analytical thinking, is a touch of magic. The mermaid, a symbol of wonder and fear, beauty and death, love and hate. the idea of something either completely imagined or never witnessed, yet as real as something you can touch is a fascination to me. It says so much about the person observing it. How do you see the mermaid? As a beautiful wonder… A treacherous siren… or a stupid fantasy.

This work of art is a reminder and representation of the power we all have within us.”

-Rafi Perez

Have an amazing week! You are awesome! Just remember, we never really get it done, and we can never get it wrong, because it is constantly being worked on, and being improved little by little… like a well lived life.

Remember to stay endlessly inspired by the stuff of life!

-Love Rafi and Klee

Posted on March 8, 2017March 8, 2017 by Artist Rafi Perez — Leave a comment

Art Creations For Your Inbox 9

Hola! We think you are awesome!

I want to announce that my exhibition is currently running at Artel Gallery, in downtown Pensacola, so if you are in town come out and see it :). We will be having the reception March 16th, from 6-8pm.

We have some new creations to share with you this week, both Klee and I are super excited about it!

But before we get into that, here is an amazing quote I would like to share with you:

If I create from the heart, nearly everything works; if from the head, almost nothing.” Marc Chagall

Man, this is so true for me. I can easily overthink something to death, and suddenly I’m frozen with indecision. When I follow my heart and feel my way through a work of art, that’s when the magic truly happens.

Ok, as I promised here is the art and jewelry! Enjoy!

Hammered Sterling silver and 14k Solid Gold “Mini Gong” Earrings

Hammered Sterling silver and 14k Solid Gold Mini Gong Earrings

“Mini Gong” Hammered Sterling and 14k gold disk earrings. These little sterling silver concave disk earrings feature subtle hammered texture, beautiful light play, minimalist design, and mixed metals with a 14k solid gold hexagonal bead nested in each. A perfect companion to the “Mini Gong” necklace, they might just be your new favorite earrings to wear everyday.”

-Klee Angelie

The Glow Of Silence By Rafi Perez

In the silence of my mind, I reach for a thought and push it away. These thoughts, these things that I think and feel are nothing more than an illusion in my silence. In this moment of focus on the glow that radiates from me, burning away the darkness of my mind, burning away at disillusion, discontent, and misery. In this moment I am glowing..”

-Rafi Perez

Sterling Silver and 14k Gold Mini Gong Disk Necklace

Mini Gong” Hammered Sterling and 14k gold disk necklace. This little sterling silver concave disk necklace features subtle hammered texture, beautiful light play, minimalist design, and mixed metals with two 14k solid gold hexagonal beads (one front and one at the clasp). It might just be your new favorite necklace to wear everyday.”

-Klee Angelie

Flight Of The Hummingbird By Rafi Perez

The imagination is one of the most powerful attributes of the human mind. We can simply visualize ourselves in any and all situations and scenarios. We can literally bring ourselves to our knees, worried about a terrible outcome that hasn’t or will probably never happen… or we can fly on the back of a hummingbird, to the song “Flight of The Valkyrie”.”

-Rafi Perez

Have an amazing week! You are awesome! No matter what you decide to create, whether it is art, a good dinner, or your life, do it from the heart… that is where the magic happens.

Remember to stay endlessly inspired by the stuff of life!

-Love Rafi and Klee

Posted on February 26, 2017February 26, 2017 by Artist Rafi Perez — Leave a comment

Stephanie’s Mermaid By Rafi Perez

I had the honor of meeting with a wonderful person who wanted a statement piece for her new digs. Her story was inspiring, and right up my alley for the kind of commission I love to work on. I love it when people jump out of their comfort zone… It’s awesome.

She had reached out to me after a good friend recommended that she should own a “Rafi” piece in her new abode.

Stephanie's Mermaid By Rafi Perez — The Reveal With Stephanie

After a fantastic phone conversation where we talked about everything from having a positive mindset, to pushing past comfort zones, and I scheduled an appointment to meet in person.

I like meeting with someone, whenever possible, to get a feel for who they are. I have a series of questions that give me a little insight to who they are, and what they want.

After a great conversation, taking measurements, and staring at the space (I’m sure it looks weird as I attempt to visualize the piece and how it will interact with the other objects and colors in the room) I had what I needed to get started.

My notes are usually very simple, I use single words to evoke the conversation we had, the colors that mean something to the person, and my own intuition.

This is what I wrote:

Mermaid
Bright Light
Turquoise
Positive Energy
Inspire Others
Blue
Purple (Different Shades)
In tune with touch (Massage)
Fierce
Empowered
Create a piece that will be a magical and constant reminder of self development and self empowerment.

The end result was amazing, and the mermaid just came to life in the space, and in the energy of its new home.

I am very proud of this piece, and honored that I was given the opportunity to create her.

-Rafi