Painting Miami. Interview with Gabriel
Written by Cynthia Saez   
By Cynthia Saez

I can imagine how fascinating it must be for a businessman to look at the life of an artist and realize how this person makes a living out of creating beauty, mixing colors and interpreting light. I am sure everybody thinks that this is basically what an artist does, but it is very refreshing to speak with one of them and realize how special their minds can be.



Gabriel is, without any doubt, one of the most enthusiastic artists I’ve met around Miami’s art scene. He is a painter with many ways to enjoy life and create his outputs. After his experience in other US cities, Gabriel finally settled in Miami and has his own reasons to live happy with his decision.

Cynthia Saez: What were you doing before moving here?

Gabriel: I was on a semi-sabbatical in Ponte Vedra, Florida, but before that I lived in Seattle until I came down with a disease they call SAD, short for Seasonal Adjustment Disorder, (which is a silly name for being depressed because it rains there all the time.) As for my past lives, I’ve been an architectural illustrator; I’ve done artwork for magazine covers, worked with numerous designers and architects on various projects around the country, I’ve exhibited fine art in galleries, cafés and public sites all over the country. I painted a 75-foot historical mural for the new Pensacola City Hall, that took over a year to produce, and painted Seattle’s largest public mural at over 600-ft long, and have owned and operated 3 galleries in Seattle and Florida. I was born in a Norman Rockwell town of Marion, Ohio in 1957, a descendant of German-Bohemian craftsmen, and drew and painted since early childhood. As an autodidact, I found the educational restraints of formal art school out of synch with my ambitions to travel for cultural exposure and the lifestyle of sitcom experiences highly sought after by my generation. But, after military service, I found that my experiences and observations were exactly what I had been searching for in order to commit my self to pursue a career as an artist and have been painting professionally, full-time since 1980.

CS: Why did you come to Miami?

G: Why not? I should have moved here sooner. I chose to live and work in Miami for the lifestyle. I love the tropical climate: the sunsets, the cloud formations, the breezes, the palm trees, and the relaxed atmosphere. I still feel close enough to nature... like the Everglades, the Florida Keys, the waterways and bayous, the best beaches in the world, and my new favorite, Fairchild Garden. I’ve always lived near the water because I like the tranquility and I like to paint reflections and the way light plays on water. To me, living life on, or near a tropical beach is living well, no matter how much money you make.

CS: How does the fact of creating your work in Miami affects its results?

G: “Accessibility” to an abundance of subject matter and ideas is important to me. I still paint the beaches and scenics of Florida, and continue to paint a series that I call “Americana,” that now includes lifeguard stations, nostalgia and various leisure activities. As an artist and a painter, I consider “what” and “why” I paint ... more important than “how,” as long my how is of good quality and of the standards that I expect of myself. But, an injury had caused me to loose my grip and dexterity in my right painting hand a few years back, and while avoiding cervical surgery, led me, again to seek new ways to paint, which took my style of realism to new heights and more creativity, but now I have full use of my grip again and keep painting this style I call Cyber-Realism.

CS: By taking a look at your website, one can see the amazing body of work you have displayed. How do you manage to create so much at the time you promote your career and plan the next step to follow?

G: I focus on one thing at a time. My website is only a portion of all of the work that I have done in the last 26 years. I try to live in the “now” moment, so, I don’t feel that I spend that much time promoting my career or planning the next step. I like to live spontaneously and honestly. I spend less time dreaming of being discovered or becoming famous, and spend more time enjoying the process of creating ...of adding color, depth, and dimension to an otherwise blank and boring canvas that life can sometimes become if you “settle” and don’t act on, or follow your dreams. I do have more than one style, because I like variety and one style doesn’t always satisfy what I want. If a painting doesn’t turn out like I expected, I tear it up and do something else, or store it away for another day.

CS: What, in your opinion, should be the ideal relationship between artists and institutions?

G: I don’t know, maybe trust. These days, is there such a thing as an ideal relationship between anybody? It seems that nobody has trust in anyone or in anything, anymore. We are all becoming too selfish, (Looking out for our own interests). Sometimes that becomes a problem with too many cultures, too many ideas, and too many “differences” when actually; we are all part of the same thing.

Artists create the artworks... and the institutions display or sell the artworks. It’s like the Yin and the Yang: opposites can only attract if there’s trust. That’s the only way the relationship works at all. However, outside of that relationship, I’d like to see more art reviews in the local press and publications.

I see a problem in Miami that heavily affects the relationship between the artists and the galleries, and that is that there are too many areas touting themselves as “art districts”...with different nights of the month as their “gallery walk” ... it’s confusing and frustrating and sometimes renders these areas as “lack-lustered.” A little bit of cohesion between the institutions and their artists could result in deciding on one night a month for “gallery walk” that would benefit everyone. I think it’s easier to remember if that night is in the first week of the month and not on a weekend when there’s too much entertainment to choose from. These nights should be the Opening nights for the new exhibits which will build anticipation and excitement.