Getting the rhythm

This video clip of my friends, extraordinary guitarists Gil Gutierrez and Jaime Valle

feeling the rhythm was filmed at The Restaurant in San Miguel de Allende.

After an intense travel schedule this year it's great to be home in San Miguel de Allende. When creating it is so important to find the right rhythm. I've enjoyed settling into the studio this week and soaking up some of the local color. As you can imagine the hues and textures of our town give breath to my work.

When the first rooster crows I put on my running shoes and go for an early jog

to clear my head and absorb the sounds of the city, colors of nature and unparalleled quality of light.

Often unexpected juxtapositions take me by surprise

and these ideas find their way into my work.

This is followed by a strong cup of coffee, latin jazz and solitude so I can focus and get into the painting zone. I work to build an uninterrupted rhythm in my studio from early morning to late afternoon. I like to take short breaks to clear my head. My favorite technique to stay fresh is to play my guitar beside a fountain we built outside.

I wanted to introduce you to my 9 year old son Santiago who is my most important critic. Working on children's books it's essential to make sure you are speaking the right language and he keeps me on track. It's a gift to spend time with him and I like to see things through his eyes.

Here he is in his pajamas with the donkeys across the street. Down the hill they come in the mornings with the campensinos taking firewood and sacks of dirt into town.

Santi is testing the Lucha Libre wrestler costume created by his grandmother.

I am inspired by children I meet as their imaginations really give wings to things we take for granted.

Santiago gives me valuable feedback as my books develop and I like to see how he responds to certain characters or icons on the pages I paint. If you pay attention you can really see where his eyes go first and next.

Then I wander down the hill to get inspired by sketching and shooting photos of textures and colors for the next day.

As an artist I've learned to surround myself with the things that I'm passionate about. This can be as simple as putting up images that resonate for you or playing good music in your studio.

To look for clues that make you tick, or listen to that voice inside your head-to really make time to listen.

It's about not making excuses or letting resistance keep you from the things you want to do. When I sense obstacles or blocks I return to my sketchbook and just keep drawing.

You have to work to craft the space in your head needed to create. To realize how important it is to find the rhythm and to search for it wherever you go.

I'm currently painting spreads for a new children's book

My Name is Tito and feeling the beat.

Unity, Art & Renewal in Fort Collins, Colorado

This week I'm returning to the studio energized by the excitement of painting a community mural. I'm greatly inspired by my compatriotas Carlos Merida, Diego Rivera, José Orozco, Siqueiros and the Mexican mural movement of the 1930's that brought art to public places as a cultural, social and political tool. In 1989 I worked to develop a mural style that would invite people with or without formal art training to participate in the monumental process of creating murals. The initial murals were part of the Urban Art Trail project to reclaim the East Village neighborhood of downtown San Diego where I live and work using art. I believe that Iarge, public murals can bring a sense of place and engage residents of the neighborhood. Involving the community in the art making creates a genuine sense of ownership.

Here I am meeting the wall for the first time and taking in the scale of the space. The 61 foot long by 15 foot tall mural is at the Civic Center Parking Structure located on Mason and Laporte Avenue in downtown Fort Collins.

Demonstrating to the team how to transfer the original drawing into the large scale mural once the grid has been snapped.




















A challenging aspect of mural painting is working with the architectural elements of a space to create a composition and concept that integrates with a location while communicating an authentic spirit and purpose. A year ago I met the amazing Irene Romsa at a book conference at the University of Alabama. She talked about a unique outreach program Rincon de Cuentos that brings bilingual storytelling, theatre, and puppetry to underserved communities. The goal of the program is to promote literacy and help these families discover the library. I knew I wanted to contribute my work and time to support these efforts.

On June 17th, 125 children and community volunteers came together to breathe life into the mural celebrating unity, art and renewal. It was a big fiesta rich with diversity, singing, dancing and food. I worked with enthusiastic children, librarians and families of the remarkable Poudre River Public Library District who sponsored the project. I'm grateful for the support of the City of Fort Collins, Art in Public Places Program and several sponsoring agencies and businesses.
I will long remember the hospitality of the people of Fort Collins. The music at the Museo de las Tres Colonias, the tamales and new friends.

My deep appreciation to fellow artists, Bill, Karol, Terry, Chris, Lisa, Mary, Francisco and others who showed up on Tuesday to help me snap the lines, grid and outline the larger than life project. With their help and expertise we were able to prepare the mural for the community in just four days! Special thanks to Irene for her organizational abilities, dedication, vision, and kindness. I am proud of the result that celebrates the library district’s outreach efforts to connect and enrich the lives of underserved groups. I hope the community of Fort Collins will enjoy the mural for many years to come.

The captivating photo above of 6 year old Hallie Gordie painting the mural is courtesy of Rich Abrahamson and The Coloradoan. To view a dynamic slide show they created of this event click here.

You can also watch news coverage of the event on Channel 9 in Colorado and meet some of the amazing kids who made it happen by clicking here .

!Bienvenidos!

Thanks for stopping by. I created this blog to connect with old and new friends about my passion for children's books and art making.

You can also visit the studio blog at: rafaellopezstudio

To view more of my work see my website at: rafaellopez.com

One World, Many Stories

I hope you will click on the orange link below to listen to a voice tape I made about this poster created for the 2011 Collaborative Summer Library Reading Program.

The Collaborative Summer Library Program (CSLP) is a grassroots consortium of states working together to provide high-quality summer reading program materials for children at the lowest cost possible for their public libraries. Go to your browser and type in One World, Many Stories to find out about the exciting activities for kids where you live.

Make it a great summer and fill it with reading. Thanks to teachingbooks.net for putting this audio tape together.

It's called One World, Many Stories.

Discovering Dubai

I want to sincerely thank my new friends in Dubai who share a great passion for books.

I had the chance of a lifetime to discover the beautiful emirate of Sharjah, which overlooks the Persian Gulf. This region has an impressive array of cultural and traditional projects, elegant mosques, fascinating souks [markets] and many outstanding museums. I was invited by the gracious Bodour Alqasimi, the daughter of the Emir to visit and give a workshop for children. Her incredible renovation of the Casbah area includes restaurants, offices, galleries and a cultural center where the workshop was held.

What a thrill it was to see Book Fiesta translated into Arabic by my good friends at Kalimat Publishing. I discovered friendly, worldly people and had a magnificent time exploring the city with Omar, Amani and Tamer. In 1998 Sharjah was named a UNESCO World Heritage site for being the cultural capital of the Arab world. My appreciation goes out to Marwa for organizing the trip and especially to the inquisitive, energetic and talented children I met in the workshop. I wanted to share some of my photos including the library bus that goes out to the far reaches of the region bringing books to children. The Emirate of Sharjah is also known to be the Cultural Capital of the UAE. The Expo Centre Sharjah is well known for the annual book fair that is famous all over the region. The Emir personally takes keen interest in this event which brings together hundreds of publishers from all over the world and thousands of titles. I look forward to working with my new friends in the future to promote literacy and Arab literature for children.

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Exploring Chicago and Minnesota

I'm just returning to the studio after dynamic trips to Northern Minnesota and Chicago where I had the great opportunity to talk about books and participate in workshops with children.Thank you to all the librarians, teachers and students I met along the way.

I traveled 1000 miles by car from Duluth to Grand Rapids. I spoke in Mount Iron, Hibbing, Virginia, Babbitt and Grand Rapids, Minnesota. Imagine driving for miles on end without seeing another soul where wolves and moose run freely. I enjoyed connecting to students, talking about the process of making children's books and we had fun brainstorming ideas together. I wanted to share some of my photos documenting this land of 10,000 lakes.

The state's name comes from a Dakota word for "sky-tinted water". The forests, wild salmon swimming up river and vast wilderness areas will stick with me.

This was my second visit to the wonderful Harold Washington Library in Chicago and once again I enjoyed meeting the children and families who came in by bus each evening to talk about our shared love for books. It was a rainy day so I spent a very memorable day getting inspired at the incomparable Art Institute of Chicago.