My paintings celebrate Spain and also Nature and the spiritual resonance found within its iconic landmarks. They seek to capture fleeting moments of my childhood, light, and invite viewers into an immersive experience into the Old World.
As a native of Spain living in the US, I also honor the cultural heritage and connection between Spain and the US through my artwork. I find my background brings an authentic cultural perspective to the portrayal of California heritage subjects. This authenticity adds value to my artwork, providing a more genuine representation of Spanish heritage in history.
Biography
As a kid growing up in Spain in the 70s and 80s, I was never taught art or encouraged to develop my artistic skills. Inspiring kids to develop their creative skills wasn’t a thing back then!
While my class schedule usually included 1 hour/week dedicated to the arts, the reality is that no instruction (or supervision) was provided during that time.
I remember feeling the push to draw and paint, but also the fear of failure. As a result, I would look at my brand new drawing pad and colored pencils now and then throughout the year, wishing to fill them with lines and colors, but not knowing how to start.
Instead, I took to writing, and I have written on and off all my life.
Years went by and, by the time in the mid-90s when I completed my major in Math (Statistics), I had never really picked up a pencil (let alone a brush), other than a couple of years during high school, where I had two years of technical drawing (angles, perspectives, and all that), which has actually served me well later in life and is probably one of the reasons why I love architectural subjects.
1999 - 2004
I got married and followed my American husband to the US in 1999. This was a hard transition, and as soon as I found a job and got settled, I felt the artistic pull once again. This time, I listened, and even when I never took any formal classes or instruction, during those years I produced some drawings that, while crude, are beautiful in their way and to this day I treasure. Landscapes of my childhood in Spain, portraits of my parents and other family members…
I found that my drawings helped anchor me to the life I had left behind in Spain. I had discovered the soothing effect of creating art.
2004-2018
As my passion for drawing grew, I discovered the need to take photos of my subjects during my trips to Spain so that I would have drawing material when I got back to the US. Just like that, I uncovered a passion for photography that grew and grew (to the point that quickly enough it pushed drawing to the side) and has lasted until today.
I have a large, absolutely beautiful, body of work of B&W photography that follows the f64 group aesthetics. My work has even been showcased in prestigious magazines and I hope to exhibit it one day! You can find my work here https://flickr.com/mameny and here http://mamen.com
I have always loved animals but, during this time, it's also when my love affair with cats started.
2018 +
In 2018, I found myself looking hard at my life and what was important to me, and found myself reminiscing of those times when I used to look at my never-used drawing pad and coloring pencils with excitement and fear. I decided to go for it! I bought supplies, and started to take watercolor classes. One day, someone asked me: what's the point of painting if you don't share your work? And the rest is history. I was also able to fulfill my dream of living in a cabin in the woods.
My process
I work in a cabin hidden away in the woods of the California coast. My studio is a cozy nook tucked into a dormer, offering a window to the world of nature just beyond. Surrounded by the sights and scents of the forest, I lose myself in the creative process, with my cats by my side, lending quiet companionship as I paint.