Tanya Torres

My work in the International Museum of Women: Online MAMA Exhibition

2012-01-24T21:22:00.000-05:00

Please visit: http://mama.imow.org/gallery?page=4. It is a wonderful collection of work about Motherhood by women from around the world.

Los Tres Reyes Magos (The Three Wise Men)

2012-01-13T11:35:00.001-05:00

It's never too late to celebrate los Reyes! I painted these for a Three Kings Day activity with the Puerto Rican Artisans on January 5th at the East Harlem Cafe. Just to share an interesting fact, it seems Puerto Ricans invented the verb "reyar," and we also assign the names differently. Learn more (in Spanish): Hablemos español: El verbo "reyar"

Angels

2012-01-04T21:00:00.000-05:00

Lately, I've been inspired by angels...

Little Angel of the Seeds and Flowers
Painting on 6" x 6" tile
2011

Angel of Green
Painting on 6" x 6" tile
2011

Christmas Angel
Painting on 6" x 6" tile
2011

La mirada (The Stare)

2011-12-30T09:09:00.000-05:00

La mirada (The Stare) by Tanya Torres

Painting on tile, 6" x 6", 2011

Sometimes I just draw a face and see what happens as I paint it. This one stayed half-finished on my table for weeks, until the day before yesterday, when I sat down to finish all the unfinished tiles I had been working on. I am preparing to move fully into a new series I am painting for an exhibition in Prague this April.

She kept looking at me until I finally placed her in front of me. When I was done, she seemed to keep staring with that questioning look: "What do you think you are doing?,"she asks. "Move on, move on!"

Tocando el Tambor (Playing the Drum)

2011-12-27T10:05:00.000-05:00

Playing the Drum by Tanya Torres
Acrylic on tile, 6" x 6", 2011

I had not done any drums for a while, but my friend Luis Lassen took home a Bomba Dancer and then said: "She looks lonely, I need another one." He was about to choose the African Lady, but I suggested we do a male dancer or a drummer to go with the Bomba Dancer. This is the first drummer I do on tile, for Luis and for his bomba dancer in red:

Bomba Dancer by Tanya Torres
Acrylic on tile, 6" x 6", 2011

Now they can dance together, forever!

Biography of a Paper Ball

2011-11-02T22:49:00.005-04:00

Biography of a Paper Ball
by Tanya Torres
Originally published in El Paper by Elisa Montesinos,
at Local Project in Long Island City

New Exotic Ladies: Paintings on Tile

2011-10-07T13:37:00.008-04:00

Taína Spirit of the Coquí
This Taína is inspired by our Taíno heritage, the Native Americans of Puerto Rico. On her shoulder it the little coquí, her faithful companion, the voice of the mountain and the forest.

African Lady of Beauty and Spirituality
She is inspired by our African heritage as Human Beings. This is the second version of this lady.

Exotic Lady: Muse of the Leaves
She is the Muse of the Leaves. A bindi on her forehead makes her a beautiful princess of the forest. Bring her home for a touch of beauty and inspiration every day!

These new paintings on 6" x 6" tiles are now available in my Etsy Shop.
They are $50 each. Or come visit my studio to see them in person!

See more Exotic Ladies.

Destellos de Sofía (Shimmers of Sophia)

2011-09-26T20:51:00.008-04:00

A New Miniature Book by Tanya Torres
Limited edition of 50 handmade books.
8 poems, 11 drawings
Spanish text with a separate English translation
$25

Dear Friends,
This is Destellos de Sofía, my latest miniature book. It is the product of 2 years of writing and drawing poetry and images in which I explore the things I learned during the time I painted my Mary Magdalenes. These are the shimmers of wisdom that she gave me.

Like all shimmers of wisdom, the poems in this book arrived in response to my interaction with the world. They hold images and feelings, words and thoughts that seek to catch a glimpse of the sacred in different life situations.

They begin with an Invocation to let the creative energy flow. Each poem continues the journey:

El río (The River), with its steady flow and refracted rays of light welcomes us to open the heart.

En tus brazos (In Your Arms) is a poem for invoking the sacred in romantic love. It is for reading to our beloved, imagined or real, human or divine, quietly or aloud, in order to invoke a sacred union.

Palabras (Words) is a poem to bring forth a new beginning when we are feeling oppressed by our perceived reality.

Écfrasis (Ekfrasis) is a meditation on the figure of the Mother.
Canción al corazón (Song to the Heart) is a song to remind our heart of its true nature and purpose.

Fui (I Was) is a poem for expressing sympathy. It is a response to loss by reimagining death with pantheistic vision.

Sabiduría (Wisdom) is an invocation for the wisdom that is the inheritance and legacy of every human being.

I chose to match a drawing with each poem because it is in drawing that I feel closer to poetry in words. Most of the drawings were originally inspired by the poetry of good friends who have collaborated with me in the publication Life, Art and Letters (lifeartandletters.blogspot.com). Also, a playful surprise accompanies “Canción al corazón.” But you have to open the book to see it! (Oh well, I guess you just need to look at the photos... I just couldn't resist!)

I hope this book will be received as a little treasure to read or use when you need a special poem to express an idea that is difficult to put into words. I offer you these words to use and share with the people that you love deeply and infinitely.

In the hope of helping to bring more love, peace and joy into our world, I send this words today with the wish that you will want to have one of these little books in your home and in your heart, to keep or to give.

With all my love, always,
Tanya

*While the handmade book is in Spanish, it comes with a separate English translation of the poems.

The books are ready!
The subscribers of my blogs are the first to know!
The book is signed and numbered on the back.

To Order a Book:
When you order, please indicate if you want a dedication and for whom.

Ofrenda del Corazón

2011-09-16T13:48:00.004-04:00

Ofrenda de luz y hojas nuevas (2011) by Tanya Torres

A few weeks ago, I received an email from Minette Duenas, a teacher in South Texas, asking me if I would be able to contribute to her project by painting a wooden heart for the Ofrendas del Corazon Heart Art Silent Auction. The money is raised in the name of Michael Rutledge, a young man who was Minette's student and in his second year of High School at the time of his death. Michael's parents donated his organs, which in turn saved four people's lives. 100% of the money raised goes into scholarships for bilingual students at Michael's school.

To learn more see @ http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=exOz35lRS6A
and their facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Ofrendas-del-Coraz%C3%B3n/235917659765475

I loved so much painting this heart. I hope it helps!

Destellos de Sofía, A New Miniature Book

2011-06-27T13:30:00.007-04:00

A pop-up!

Magenta for spirituality, the color of the highest flight of the heart...

It's been a long, but pleasurable process to create this book. First, I wrote the poetry throughout the last two years. Then, I created the drawings, many of them inspired by poetry written by other poets, including Luis A. Rodríguez and Stephen Cipot, whose work was a great inspiration to my own visual work. Next, I created a first version of the book, which did not contain any images and which also was bigger in size. But I felt that I wanted this book to say more about what it means to me, and decided to pair the poems with images. I soon realized that I had almost all the drawings I needed and that they each complimented a particular poem. Since I had chosen to make drawings inspired by poetry that explored the same themes I was exploring, it turned out I was also drawing for my own poems. Some drawings, of course, were created especially for this book.

With this book, I have decided to go back to my bookmaking roots: miniature books. I think that from now on this will be the only format for my books. It is what I truly enjoy and what I truly see as the best carrier of my thoughts. I want my book to be a jewel, but an unobtrusive one, a treasure that is both easy to conceal and to share.

From the beginning, I thought I wanted a black and white book, with a certain paper that I enjoy because of its texture (Somerset velvet), but I still struggled with the design, changing my mind about it several times, and even buying plenty of that fuchsia paper you can see now as end pages, but that at some point was supposed to be for the cover of the book. I always know exactly how I want my books from the beginning of the process, but this time I got confused because I wanted to make the book extra special. In the end, I went back to the beginning and created the design very similar to what I had originally envisioned. I was extremely relieved to see the final result and to be able to add a touch of color as well.

I see this book as a resource as well as a piece of art. First, I hope that when you hold the book in your hands, you will feel pleasure and joy at holding something tiny, but made with great love and care. I hope it will be a little jewel you can hold and look at, and read a little at a time. Second, I hope that you can use the poems for your own needs. There is a poem you can use for invoking words, another for expressing sacred love, another to offer your presence to someone who is going through depression or sadness, another to give condolences or support someone who has lost a loved one, another to invoke wisdom. You can write one of these poems on a piece of paper and think of the person you are giving it to. Or you can record it as a phone message and send it with your voice. Or you can read in his or her ear, letting your voice carry your feelings and wishes. Or you can simply put the book somewhere where it will remind you that life is what you make of it and pleasure and beauty can help us live better. Or you can get inspired by it to create your own book with the help of my Bookmaking Tutorial series of posts, which I will be publishing over the next few days in my "secret blog" Hoy, artista. Here is the first post: http://hoy-artista.blogspot.com/2011/06/how-to-make-book-part-1.html

So far, this edition of 50 books will be in Spanish, although I am considering creating an English version as well. The price is $25 per book and the numbers 1, 50, 7 and 16 are already taken. If you would like to reserve your favorite number, write to me: tanyaetorres@yahoo.com and I will give you all the details. I look forward to having a special presentation when the entire edition is ready.

I hope you like my little book of mystical poetry, and I hope what it contains touches the hearts of the people who hold it in their hands when its 49 twins are all finally born!

Poetry Murals

2011-06-15T13:07:00.010-04:00

It feels so good to have finally completed all my poetry murals! Here they are, including 4 additional "last minute" murals that Mr. Soto, the school principal, asked me to create 2 months before the biggest day at the school: Mano a Mano, when all the school's creations are presented in a big performance and as exhibitions throughout the building.

The murals are all painted and written on approximately 60 4" x 4" tiles. The project began last year, when the school children asked Mr. Soto to fix the bathrooms. He moved Heaven and Earth to achieve the much needed—and very expensive—renovation of 6 school bathrooms, and thought to integrate poetry and art as a reminder that creativity and dreams are all around us!

Personally, I feel this project integrates a lot of who I am by bringing together word and image. Of course, they are also meant to reflect the principal's vision for the school and the idea for the picassoesque figures came from the children's own work with the schools' art teacher, Ms. Turtle. The poetry is all mine. Here they are!

Girls, First Floor

Boys, First Floor

Girls, Second Floor

Boys, Second Floor

Girls, Third Floor

Boys, Third Floor

Artful Kitchen

2011-05-23T15:03:00.004-04:00

My customer, Katherine, asked me to create the the design for her kitchen based on the details of a tile she bought from me from the very first batch of Exotic Ladies tiles I made. She chose the Muse with green hair, which became the centerpiece of this project. The original tile is at the top of the window, by itself. The empty space to the left is for placing a clock. For the story, visit my "secret blog," Hoy, artista.

Motherhood Artwork by Tanya Torres

2011-04-26T14:17:00.012-04:00

Even before I was a mother, I was inspired by motherhood. This is one of my first prints (a linocut with chinne colé) inspired by this theme. I created Motherhood in 1992, when I was still an undergraduate student at CCNY.

Later on, after I had my child, I painted this image of a mother nursing her baby in a rocking chair. I spent so many long hours doing this... Julian liked to nurse every hour... Toughest job I ever had! But it created a beautiful bond between my son and I, and he grew healthy and allergy free. I thought it was worth immortalizing the moment in a painting titled El Sillón!

This one is titled Madre Patria and the original is a watercolor. I created it for a young woman, Yomara, who wanted to give a "Puerto Rican" gift to her mother, but her mom hated everything Puerto Rican. I told her, don't worry, she will love your Puerto Rican gift! I had her pose with her young son Keanu, and created this image of tenderness to depict not only them, but a patriotic idea for all Puerto Ricans, even those who feel a little let down by the land where they were born. This is my best-selling print of all time!

Another "post-partum" painting, three years after, when my son was already weaned. Cesarea at Dawn was inspired by a poem by Tita Dalia that mentioned her c-section scar. I was making her book at the time and created a drawing as an illustration. Then one day, when I was given really bad news about my health, I spontaneously started painting this piece. When I think of why it was this image in particular that I decided to paint, I feel that it was because in my mind I made a connection between my own scars, the toll that breastfeeding had taken on my body and the life-giving ability of nature. I painted a healing image that helped me move from frustration and sadness into light and a new beginning.

Placenta is the "companion" to Cesarea. I painted them one after the other, and have always kept them together. When I was younger, I read a book that detailed the efforts of doctors to make money off women at different stages in their lives. It explained how sometimes doctors tell women that a c-section is necessary while in truth, it is just a way to charge more and make their own time more manageable. It happened to many of my friends so, long before I got pregnant, I decided to go with a midwife when the time came. I would have loved to have a completely natural birth, away from the hospital, but in the end, I decided to be practical. It was a good decision, since there were a few complications during the birth. But having the midwife was extremely wise, since she allowed me extra time before deciding to intervene, and it was during that last half hour I was given that Julian was born! This painting is my way to recreate that ideal birth, even if it didn't happen in reality, it is always possible in my imagination. While reading about breast-feeding, I learned how moms feed twins. I thought it would be very challenging to have to nurse two babies like Julian, who at first refused to nurse, and then would not leave me alone for two minutes! The mom and twins surrounded by flowers and nature and nourished by love. It is titled Twins, of course!

I began The Four Daughters of Eve before going in the hospital for three weeks for a stem-cell transplant. I left it unfinished, hoping I would be able to come back to it. I did, I took a long, long time because I was so tired and could only paint a little at a time. I wanted to paint the origins of humanity and the union between all human beings. She is now in my studio, reminding me of our immense power of survival and regeneration.

When I first discovered Mary Magdalene, I met her as the Mother. This idea connected with my previous work and this was my first painting of her. Mary Magdalene and Sarah is one of my favorite paintings because I like the peace of the moment and the little hands and feet of baby Sarah, as well as the palette. This Mary Magadalene is now in Ecuador with my friend Clemencia Cruel and her daughter Rommy, who have placed the painting in their altar. I can't imagine a better place for it!

I first learned of the Virgin of Czestochowa through my friend Raquel and fell in love with the image because I "like the idea of the Black Virgin not being of any particular ethnicity, but a representation of the life-giving power of the Earth itself, the darkness of which light is born, the "Hodegetria", One Who Shows the Way, the Mother who points to her son so that we may through her guidance reach the ultimate goal of our human journey. And I also love her because she is dark, wounded, ancient, beautiful and miraculous, and because I am also a mother with a once little, dark, byzantine eyed child. I too have many scars in my ancient body, which I am not afraid to show." I'm quoting myself, of course! and would like to add that one day I bought a little prayer card of this image for Raquel, and guess what? At the same time, that same day, in Montreal, Canada, Raquel was buying the same card (in French!) for me. One of the little Magdalene miracles that tell me life is magical and good...

Finally, and probably not the last, and this is one of my favorite themes to work, a drawing. I have been drawing a series titles "Sacred Garden" and this is one of the drawings, which I published to welcome the New Year with a little poem. Mom and baby are surrounded by leaves that cradle them both and hold them in the sacred embrace of the Universe and Mother Nature.

An early and heartfelt wish of happiness and health for all mothers, whether spiritual or physical, female or male, past and present.

With all my love,

Tanya

En espanol: Las mamás en mi arte

Back to my miniature book roots...

2011-03-24T16:10:00.003-04:00

Corazón, a drawing for my new handmade miniature book, Destellos de Sofía.

El río, accompanying the poem by the same title in Destellos de Sofía.

Blue Hair

2011-03-16T13:32:00.006-04:00

Blue Hair, Acrylic and Water-soluble crayon on canvas, 16" x 20", 2008

Poem: "Fly, Soul, Fly" from Destellos de Sofía, a new handmade book of poetry

I created this painting in 2008 from a drawing I had done about a year earlier, at night, together with the one titled "Sunflowers." Then one day, a friend called me to bring some paintings to be exhibited at the Community Board office, and I decided to paint this canvas with materials that could dry faster than oil paint, my usual medium of choice. I used acrylic paint and my other favorite material, water-soluble crayons. The result was pleasing to me, a painting that I have had hanging in my own living room until a couple weeks ago, when I brought it back up to my studio in the hope of tuning into it again for the new series that I have been calling "Sacred Garden" and "Goddesses of El Yunque."

For years, I have been wanting to get closer to my own culture through painting, but in a way that did not involve the usual symbols of nationality or a social/political perspective. I wanted a symbol that I could create within my own style and that would be sincere, universal and spiritual. So when two wonderful women somewhat and somehow identified this image with a Taíno goddess, I felt that I had found the connection between my own style, my desire to create something related to my culture and the universality I strive for in all my work.

Blue Hair then becomes the inspiration for a new series of work. I look forward to painting large canvases with one or more figures accompanied by animals and plants from the island of Puerto Rico and maybe the rest of the Greater Antilles, drawing on Taíno symbolism and my own mythology/iconography.

As I always tell my son, "Great Goddess of History, help me!" This time, I think she heard me!

Eros and Psyche

2011-02-02T14:20:00.003-05:00

It's been years since I learned about Eros and Psyche, so long ago I can't remember why I became interested in the topic. I'm sure it had something to do with a longing for the idea that they represent, the union of love and the soul.

When we think of Eros, we mostly relate this character of Greek mythology with erotic love, and he certainly has something to do with it, but it is also significant that in the end of his story, he is not alone, but joined by Psyche, the soul. One is not complete without the other.

Just like each of our own souls when they are silenced by the logic of the mind, Psyche had lack of faith and because of that, lost her beloved. But once she realized her loss, she did all she could to win him back and had to pass immense tests of strength in order to reach him. In the end, she becomes immortal, because of love.

I began this watercolor years ago, together with others that remain unfinished and a series of canvases inspired by Indian miniatures illustrating the Kama Sutra, which I keep but never have painted. This year, I decided it is time to take Eros out of the drawers of forgetfulness, which is why I am publishing this watercolor so we can all get inspired to let our own Eros and Psyche find each other in our own heart.

***

This watercolor is available as well as prints and cards of this and other images of Eros and Psyche when you visit this blog's special shop page: http://tanyatorres.blogspot.com/p/shop.html

and take a look at the image of MM and JC, do you notice? I did not realize it when I composed Surrender... but the placement of the figures is almost the same!

Sacred Garden: Her Spirit Remains (Behind the Yuca plant with Reinita and Coquí)

2011-01-26T16:34:00.005-05:00

Yuca grows in this garden, visited by animals, guarded by the divine ancestors who inhabit the grayer shades of life within. Made of water, leaves, roots, she might be as green as the forest itself, or as blue as the evening sky. Or she might be transparent, like a veil. She is undoubtedly humid, and life grows out of her heart.

Exotic Lady: Melancholy

2011-01-13T12:42:00.003-05:00

I think she is missing her beloved Matisse. But at least she has his blues.

Exotic Lady: Butterflies

2011-01-13T12:40:00.001-05:00

A variation on the exotic ladies... She is dreaming in her golden world.

Reinita in the Garden (Sacred Garden)

2010-12-26T19:09:00.003-05:00

Pencil on Rives BFK paper.

7.5" x 9.75"

12/26/2010

As a child, I loved reinitas. These little birds always flew around my house, and I used to love their yellow chests. I had not seen them for a long time, until today.

Today, this reinita seems to have penetrated the veil between my imaginary garden and El Yunque, the rain forest in Puerto Rico. Now I am inviting other animals into the garden: the Puerto Rican boa, the múcaro, the parrots, the bat, the iguana who is coming from La Mona to visit, the hummingbird, the guaraguao, and of course, the Coquí. They are bringing some Yuca into the garden, so we can grow it. The goddesses of el Yunque have agreed to visit as well.

Just Born (Sacred Garden)

2010-12-26T17:26:00.003-05:00

Pencil on Rives BFK paper.

7.5" x 9.75"

12/26/2010

Just Born is part of the series Sacred Garden. This drawing of a mother holding her newborn baby —surrounded by leaves and vines and life— is inspired by the sacred moment of birth. Not all of us are able to have a natural birth, so I drew this for all moms who wish to re-imagine the moment they hold their newborn baby surrounded by all the bounty of nature, which holds mother and child, sustaining them, and protecting them as they are both born into their new life.

Merry Christmas!

2010-12-25T09:16:00.002-05:00

A poem for girls, A poem about freedom

2010-12-20T11:53:00.006-05:00

I created this poem for the P.S. 57 bathroom murals, and now finally got to give it a new shape as a digitally illustrated image. It is a poem that I hope speaks to girls with thoughts about freedom, a word and an idea that has been essential to me as a person and as an artist.

I believe freedom is about being able to visualize yourself as the best possible version of who you can be, and acting upon that vision. And it is also about embracing your dreams, and refusing to let them go once grown-up life begins. I wish I had been invited to seriously think about freedom as a young girl, and this is why I dedicated this poem to the girls!

I am currently working on transforming the boy's poem into one of these poetry prints. And this one is now available in my etsy shop in both Spanish and English! ($12, Free shipping!)

My Guadalupe

2010-12-06T17:01:00.006-05:00

"I don't believe in anything, but I believe in the Guadalupe..."

A phrase for thought by a writer and friend.

A writer said this to me, but I'm tempted to say that I have heard this same phrase from at least two other people this year. It is a phrase with which I fully identify, and a guiding principle in painting this Virgin of Guadalupe for Reverend Winnie and St. Mark's in the Bowery in gratitude for her support of Song of the Magdalene. And in gratitude to Guadalupe Tonantzin. It was at St. Marks where a few years ago I attended a dedication of an Aztec dance group to the Virgin of Guadalupe. I had never paid much attention to her, but that day she was there as the invocation for the Elements began and continued with the ancestral dancing that the group would perform in her honor. That night I brought her flowers.

I think we are all willing to bring her flowers because we can also call her Tonantzin, which in Aztec mythology and among present day Nahuas,means 'Our Revered Mother'. The faith and reverence so many people place on her is transmitted even to those of us who have a hard time believing in anything concrete.

And even when we don't believe in anything (or when we believe in everything, which is more or less the same thing...) mythologies and the truths they contain, whether they come in the context of organized religion or of personal realization, are as valid as any other belief system when they provide hope and comfort, sight and wisdom. Tonantzin is revered for her wisdom in knowing the hearts of her children.

I painted her with the colors I associate with wisdom and with the Earth: yellow, brown, terracotta, and gold, and a bluish green for hope. She is the Mother (Earth), and she is meeting the Father (Sky, White Light) without taking her gaze away from those who look up to her. Whether we dance or paint, play music or write, whether we believe or don't believe, we know that with her loving smile she will accept our gifts of joy.

Exotic Ladies

2010-12-04T10:38:00.003-05:00

Musa (Muse)

Reina de la espuma (Queen of Sea Foam)

Ninfa (Nymph)

Mantilla azul (Blue Mantilla)

Jazmines (Jasmines)

Earlier this year, I began using tile pain for the poetry murals at P.S. 57 and found it to be a fun medium, bright and textural. You also kind of have to let go of perfectionism... it is very difficult but the effects can be interesting. I had to erase the entire background of Queen of Sea Foam, but in the end, I loved the effect. I got the idea from the process of erasing, which reminded me that paint thinner can be a medium to create a marbleized effect. My favorite part of this kind of painting is using the outliners, which define and also give texture to the final piece.

Mary Magdalene of Peace

2010-12-02T18:14:00.004-05:00

As a strong character of Christian mythology, Mary Magdalene brings balance to the idea of what a woman is, should be or could be. When the world has respect for all human beings, and learns to consider women as equals all over the world, we will be closer to true peace. In essence, this is what attracts me to the Magdalene: she represents the potential of changing the the world through love and peace by achieving true humanity. Peace is like a baby in her arms, ready to take flight at any moment.

***

This Magdalene is available in my ***new Etsy Shop*** as a print. Use the coupon code "GRANDOPENING" for a super special 50% discount on all items until Dec. 20!

Song of the Magdalene: Mary Magdalene of the Tears

2010-10-05T19:46:00.006-04:00

Mary Magdalene of the Tears, Oil on canvas board, 7" x 9", 2010

Beloved disciple,

your tears arrived,

when you embraced,

your vision,

weaving the warp and weft,

where we now rest,

in the perpetual lace
of Resurrection.

(Verses from the poem Tears of Freedom)

In Spanish, there is a very popular expression: "Crying like a Magdalene." I don't know if the same is true for other languages and cultures, but for Puerto Ricans, the Magdalene is always the image of crying in desperation. This Magdalene, the last one I completed (for now!), is the only one I painted with tears as an iconographical reference. But once again, I am substituting the traditional meaning and offering a new interpretation. In this painting the tears are not a reference to pain, but to freedom.

Mary Magdalene must have experienced an immense amount of pain. She chose to face it. She stayed by the Cross as her Beloved died a terrible death. She did not run away before or after, but lived through it. Those of us who know pain of any kind, physical or emotional, know that once we live through it, something happens. Nothing is the same as it was before, there is a calm, a silence of a meditative and clear nature. A silence that lets us hear its lesson.

Pain is a great teacher. Once we meet pain, we will forever be aware of the suffering of others. What we could not imagine possible in terms of suffering, we realize as true after knowing pain. Empathy and compassion can blossom out of this experience, and a new kind of strength as well. It is as if pain can have the power weaken our bodies, while also containing the possibility of adding muscle to our souls.

I, like many people, have experienced both physical and emotional pain. The physical pain of cancer is excruciating. It creates an impenetrable layer of fear that can soon make you wish death. It is clear and loud, like a bomb. Emotional pain can be the opposite. It is so quiet and ineffable that we can't notice it as it takes over our life and then crawls all over us like a slimy snail. Both can take us into the most immense loneliness, and both can kill us, or liberate us.

Why can pain liberate us? Because when we face it, we make the decision to be free. Even if we cannot get rid of the pain, we can be free to start finding a new way to live, a new way to see. There are terrible things in the world, and I cannot console or offer any words of comfort to the victims of all the terrible errors of humanity, or to the victims of illness or even of pure chance. All I can say, from my very limited perspective, is that when people embrace their experience of pain, they make a difference in the lives of those who are just beginning to live it, and as a result, their own lives acquire purpose. Of all the things I read about cancer during the moments when I first had to face it, only the stories of survivors stayed with me. That was all I had, and that was all I held on to. The Magdalene had more than I did at the time. She had her faith in the Resurrection.

Whether we understand the Resurrection as a literal or interpretative event, faith remains the base of its redeeming power. Faith is the notion that we can be reborn out of a life-changing experience. Mary Magdalene was reborn through her tears of pain, the same tears that brought her liberation from being a woman to being a human being in its full expression. Her tears formed the veil she penetrated in order to see the true nature of her teacher, and in order to see her own true nature. It was through her faith in her vision of the Resurrection that she brought the news to the world that we were more than just our flesh, that we were beyond sin. If we accepted the redeeming nature of death and rebirth, we would be born into a new being free from the archaic notion of sin, free from judgement, free from the restraints we had invented in response to fear. She brought faith in answer to fear, rebirth in answer to death.

So from now on, when we go to a museum or a church and see a crying Magdalene, we can choose to remember that the purpose of the Crucifixion was the Resurrection, and that the tears we see washed her eyes of the illusion of death in order to see life. Her vision, of life reborn, of life never dead, can be the warp and weft on which we can place our faith to believe that out of our pain, a new life can be born.

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Tanya

Prayerfully painting for more love, for more peace, for more faith, for our world to be reborn.

http://www.tanyatorres.com

Song of the Magdalene: Mary Magdalene of the Hibiscus

2010-10-04T18:30:00.005-04:00

Mary Magdalene of the Hibiscus, Oil on panel, 9" x 12", 2010

A couple of years ago, I received a hibiscus plant from my husband. The flowers are particularly beautiful and "magdalenic." The colors are those I use to paint Magdalenes: yellow, fuschia, red and the mix of all these, bright orange. The plant would bloom every day with a new hibiscus or two. And I enjoyed each of them, looked forward to them, photographed them, told people about them. They were such a gift! A gift I needed to pass on.

I once read a book titled The Gift. It is an investigation on the nature of the gift. When we think of a gift, we think of something we might give or get, but what this book explained is that a gift is something that is meant to be passed on. Well, pass on, but not as in "regifting"! When we pass on a gift, we honor the gift we really like!

When we are given a gift, we are supposed to also give a gift. We do not have to give it to the same person who originally gave us the gift, but we can pass it on to someone else. The book told about a tribe where a gift would be passed around the different members of the community, with its pertinent gratitude ceremonies, until it reached full circle. The gift was a precious object, but what made it really meaningful was the action of giving it, of passing it on to someone else.

This book was assigned in one of my art classes. Although back then I didn't understand why, now I think it is important for artists, as well as people in all professions, to consider the nature of their gift. We come into the world with certain talents or inclinations. If we are lucky and obstinate, we develop them. But what good are they if they just stay hidden from the world. These talents, aptitudes, gifts we bring, are meant to be shared. This is the way we can help bring peace and harmony into the world. Have you ever given someone a very special gift? Have you made a gift with your own hands or worked hard to get enough money with the intention of buying a gift? Or even just looked up a thousand websites in search of something very, very special for someone you love? At that moment, when we search, make, work for the gift and at the time we give the gift, it is as if a light glows really bright. It creates a connection with the other person that shows the love that the gift brings. And our souls, in that connection, feel fulfilled and in love. We can think of everything we do as a gift. When we spend time with someone, we give them a gift. When we write a letter, or a blog!, we give a gift. When we work, we offer our knowledge and aptitude as a gift to those who receive the product of our work. Doesn't this make work sound a lot better?!

This is why I painted the flowers around Mary Magdalene, offering her a gift in gratitude for her many gifts, passing on a gift made with love. Mary Magdalene has been an immense gift for me. I paint her in the hope that I can offer that gift back to the world so that it will not remain stagnant inside of me. I hope that I can give you the bright colors of love that the Magdalene gives me, so that you can transform them in your own heart, and in the fire of your own passion, and share them with the world... until it comes full circle and we all get to share in the great gift of life.

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To buy this very affordable Mary Magdalene (just $350! payment plan available), please write to me! And if you would like greeting cards or a print, I invite you to visit my store!

Song of the Magdalene: Mary Magdalene of the Heart

2010-10-01T06:45:00.006-04:00

Mary Magdalene of the Heart, Oil on canvas, 16" x 20", 2010

An ancient Egyptian quote reads: "The Heart is the source of all knowledge." In my paintings, this is the meaning of the heart. Mary Magdalene meditates with her heart, made visible here. We process information with our mind, but we really get to learn it when we distill it in our heart. What good are numbers or facts or theories if we cannot use them for a noble purpose?

Mary Magdalene learned about love, and this knowledge transformed her by letting her shed her old self to become what we call a saint, or an enlightened being through whom love flows directly from the Source. In order for this to happen, her entire being must have had become connected to her heart. The teachings she received were transformed into knowledge at the center of her being, where her purity and innocence remained intact behind all the layers of life she must have carried as a human being, just like each of us.

In the chakra system, the heart chakra is at the center of the chest. It stands for love, acceptance, compassion, forgiveness, renewal, harmony, growth and peace. Mary Magdalene's heart is filled with all of these, and with fire. In the passionate fire of the heart, we patiently simmer all that is good until we create the healthy concoction that sustains us and gives us a clear perception of all that surrounds us. It is the antidote to fear and the elixir of a purposeful life.

Is there any other purpose to life than love? When we light it with the fire of passion, it melts the ice that fear tries hard to keep unthawed.

Song of the Magdalene: Mary Magdalene of the Light

2010-09-30T08:34:00.006-04:00

Mary Magdalene of the Light, Oil on Canvas Board, 16" x 20", 2010

I do not claim to know about everything I paint. In fact, it is through painting that I find clues as to what I should be learning. Painting the Magdalene has guided me in discovering the larger dimensions of our world.

I often get the urge to draw a canvas when it is impossible to begin painting, such as the last few minutes in my studio before leaving for the night. I remember I drew this Magdalene at one such moment, and then, months later, began painting. Since this is a very symmetrical image, I knew I must work in ways that complement its symmetry, but also help the eye move around the painting and provide variety. I found myself lightening more and more certain areas of her face, and semi realizing that I was painting the chakras.

I knew extremely little about the chakras. I knew there were chakras, and that's pretty much it. I must have seen pictures, no doubt, but it still surprised me to be painting the Magdalaene with chakras. The painting stayed unfinished in my living room for probably more than one year, or even two. I was not sure how to finish it, or why I had painted it. I really didn't feel qualified to paint things with chakras, but in the meantime, I began learning about color, energy and healing. Although there is still much to learn, I believe I finally understand why I painted the Magdalene this way.

I believe the human Magdalene to have been an enlightened being. Some scholars say that "the seven demons" that Jesus Christ casted out of her refer to an alignment of the seven chakras. She received a healing, and what this means, above all, is a shift in consciousness. A shift in consciousness means leaving behind old patterns and behaviors to emerge as a new being. Her chakras glow because she is light and energy. Her halo, the crown chakra that connects her to LOVE, glows large and bright. Mary Magdalene, by opening herself to Infinite Love, let her energy flow freely and thus became enlightened. She "let it shine", like my friend Pablito would say!

On July 25, I exhibited these Magdalenes for the first time at St. Mark's Church in the Lower East Side. It was a very special occasion for me because I had wanted this from the beginning. And it was a great and unexpected gift when the reverend asked me to place some of the paintings on the altar. The smaller ones went on the altar while the bigger ones, including this one, were on easels in front of a large and rustic cross, almost "at the foot of the Cross" like the biblical Mary Magdalene. When the mass ended and I was getting ready to teach a workshop, a man asked me if I would let him show me "your masterpiece". He said it was one of those pieces that artists paint once in their lifetime. He said it was my Modigliani! Modigliani is one of my favorite artists, so I got curious, Which is it? I thought. Well, he meant this painting, and I could never have expected it. Only time will be able to tell if it is my best piece! But I am glad that this Magdalene spoke to him so deeply. And I am grateful to him for sharing his feelings with me.

Painting Mary Magdalene has taken me to very unexpected places. She has guided me to learn about energy and healing, colors and their healing properties. I think this is a miracle: She is guiding me where I need to go, but where I would never dare go all by myself!

Song of the Magdalene: Mary Magdalene of the Roses

2010-09-29T10:11:00.006-04:00

Mary Magdalene of the Roses, 40" x 60", Oil on Canvas, 2010. At Holy Rosary Church in East Harlem.

In 2007, I decided to change my life. I accepted a mural commission that providentially was offered to me when I made this decision, and ever since I have been a full time artist, even if this sometimes means having the greatest faith imaginable that all will be well and that my ability to survive, as well as retain my integrity as an artist, will be long-lasting. One of the reasons I made this decision was that I wanted to paint Magdalenes, and see them within the context of the larger world outside my studio. I wanted one of my Mary Magdalenes to be in a church.

In 2009, I attended a Catholic funeral mass for my friend's mother. I had written a poem for my friend and her mom as a way to express my condolences, and they were going to read it in the mass, so she invited me to attend. I had already spent more than a year visiting churches and spiritual centers "by chance", but I had not even once gone into a Catholic church, the church of my childhood, where my grandmother would take me every Sunday. Just the week before I had had an experience that indicated that I should go to a Catholic church, so receiving the invitation to the funeral mass was, well, opportune. I was there early enough to find a place to seat in the tiny and crowded chapel. The priest said that we should begin by reading the poem. And he did, and he continued with the mass, and continued with the poem as well. In fact, he kept interrupting the mass to read verses, and I wanted to hide under the rug because he kept asking me to come to bring poetry to the Church. Dios mío, that must have been one of the most embarrassing moments of my life, and you can't really lie to a priest during Mass! But how do you say no?! He waited for me at the end of the mass, held my hand, and took me to his office, where he an his friend Judy convinced me to help them out...

The story continues, but the point is that this is how my wish of having a Magdalene in a church came to be. Father Gilbert and I became good friends, and I met all the Puerto Rican ladies who take care of the church. They kind of immediately adopted me. I adopted them too. I began L.I.F.E., Art and Letters, and this Magdalene, the biggest painting I have ever painted.

Because it was always meant to be in a church, this Magdalene holds the customary alabaster jar and has no Vesica Venus... It also brings together all the other elements I strive for: the iconic face; the color red in all its shades; the great bright yellow halo that could be the Sun or the light of the Christ; the flowing folds of the dress like a river of passion that envelops the Magdalene; the dove of the Holy Spirit always near her, Sophia present in her presence; just a little bit of darkness under the dress. And yellow roses. For this one, I wanted yellow roses.

One of Raquel's songs in her CD Las 7 Salves de La Magdalena mentions "Yellow flowers for the Magdalene". I believe in her prophetic vision, and in being a faithful contributor to our mythology in the works, so I wanted to give the Magdalene yellow roses. I went to all the flower shops in my neighborhood and beyond, looking for affordable yellow roses. I could not find any, so I went home empty handed. Soon, however, Judy, the woman I met at Father Gilbert's office the day he kidnapped me, came to visit me with a gift: a big bunch of yellow roses. I had not told her I needed yellow roses! Does this qualify as a miracle?

The roses lasted long enough for me to paint them, actually, longer than any bunch of roses I have ever held in my hands. I had never painted roses, but drawing and painting have one trick that, if you learn it, helps you paint anything: seeing in terms of value and shape. You need to stop looking at a rose as a rose, and just see the lightness and darkness, the shape, the lines that make up the shapes. The roses came out pretty well!

I am very partial to this Magdalene. It might be because it took more than six months to paint it and because I worked and reworked it until it was time to let her go. She is now a bright presence in a very depressed environment. The material poverty of my neighborhood reflects itself faithfully in this church. So my Mary Magdalene is there and I think she is telling all of us to brighten up! Life is beautiful! Roses have thorns, and last such a short time, but would we want to stop loving and enjoying them just because of that?

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If you would like to commission a Magdalene, Email me!

For reproductions or greeting cards, visit my store!

Song of the Magdalene: Connection to the Black Madonna

2010-09-28T09:16:00.004-04:00

Our Lady of Czestokowa, Gouache on paper, 7” x 10”, 2008

My interest in the Black Virgin may have begun at the Porta Coeli Museum in San Germán, my hometown in Puerto Rico, the first time I was able to visit this ancient colonial structure. As a child, I had heard my father tell the story of visiting “the convent,” as it was called when he was a young boy and my grandmother took him and his brothers to hear the Latin mass. By the time I was old enough to be curious, the Convent was closed and I never got a chance to visit it until my thirties, when it had been a museum for several years. Like a book, I always start looking on the left side of a room, and there she was, a magnificent wooden statue of the Black Virgin, dressed in a white gown, holding her beautiful little Man-Child on her lap. I took some photos and then forgot her until some years later, when I discovered her connection to Mary Magdalene.

In Puerto Rico, I have heard people say that the Black Virgin is the syncretism of the Virgin Mary and the African slaves' religion. I believe this syncretism in fact exists, but I was always curious why she was so adored in Europe and where she came from. The Black Madonna does not originate in the Caribbean or America at all, but her early statues and icons were in Europe long before the Old World and the New World found each other. She is so ancient that she might already have been there when Christianity arrived. Some scholars claim that the peoples of Europe merged their own ancient goddess of the earth with the Virgin Mary, and made her into the Black Virgin. It was one of the theories exposed by scholars about the Black Madonna that ultimately attracted me to her. This theory is her connection to Mary Magdalene.

The Black Madonnas of Europe are usually called Our Lady. It is believed that at some point the Magdalene became linked to the Black Maddona by association to the Song of Songs when it says "I am black, but comely, O ye daughters of Jerusalem." Mary Magdalene is associated to the bride in the poem, and Jesus to the bridegroom. Also, the cathedrals dedicated to "Our Lady" were built by the Knights Templar, who were "champions of Mary Magdalene." There is also the link to Sarah the Black saint, believed by some to be the daughter brought by Mary Magdalene from Egypt.

The original icon of Our Lady of Czestochowa particularly attracts me because it might be Byzantine, or at least might have inspired Byzantine art (since Helen is said to have brought it to her son Constantine from Jerusalem) and, most of all, because of its scar. Margaret Starbird makes an interesting association in reference to the icon Our Lady of Czestochowa representing the vanished goddess/Magdalene, "she is not only dark, she is wounded." Even if she is the mother of God, even if she is adored and revered, the scar is the first thing you see when you look at this image.

Just as I try to make my Mary Magdalenes universal, I like the idea of the Black Virgin not being of any particular ethnicity, but a representation of the life-giving power of the Earth itself, the darkness of which light is born, the "Hodegetria", One Who Shows the Way, the Mother who points to her son so that we may, through her guidance, reach the ultimate goal of our human journey. And I also love her because she is dark, wounded, ancient, beautiful and miraculous, and because I am a mother with a once-little, dark, byzantine-eyed child. I too have many scars in my ancient body, which I am also not afraid to show.

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This Virgin of Czestokowa is available. E-mail Me! or visit my store. Reproductions and greeting cards are also available.

Song of the Magdalene: Mary Magdalene of the Leaves

2010-09-27T10:04:00.006-04:00

Mary Magdalene of the Leaves, Oil on Canvas, 30” x 40”, 2008

11. I believe mythology is based in truth, but not necessarily historical fact.

12. I believe that mythology is a valid foundation for spirituality.

LESA BELLEVIE

Personal Manifesto

When I first started painting Mary Magdalene of the Leaves, I thought of exploring Margaret Starbird's notion (in her book The Woman with the Alabaster Jar) of Mary Magdalene as "the vine" or secret wife of Jesus Christ. I have never seen a vine, or at least I have never paid attention to a real-life vine, so I looked at some pictures of roots and leaves. In the end, I kept the leaves, that form a halo of nature's gifts around the Magdalene. And I also kept the vine, which is hidden under her dress, that very dark place at the bottom center of the painting, a secret place. In the end, I think the iconographic reference works, even though it is invisible and only you and I know about it.

As I continued to study and assimilate all the different things that are written about Mary Magdalene, I began to move away from traditional iconography and embrace my own mythology, created over time with my dear friend and creative partner Raquel Z. Rivera. It was then that the Magdalene started evolving into Our Lady of Lexington, Patroness of all faithful creative ones who don't believe in anything, but believe in the redeeming quality of the creative act. My own faith has only grown in the process, and now I believe in everything.

Today, as I was visiting the blog The Magdalene Review by Lesa Bellevie, who is also the person behind Magdalene.org, I wanted to sign her Personal Manifesto. I found the two points in the quote above, among many others, that describe what Raquel and I have been striving for. I do not feel the need for the Magdalene to be more than an idea because I believe in the imagination as a creative force. All the stories about the Magdalene enrich my view and my references, and as she continues to grow, she points me to never before explored territories that are both fascinating and informative. I absolutely loved Margaret Starbird's book, it is so rich in information and connections, but I do not need them to be true for me to embrace the Magdalene. She is real because I make her real in my own imagination, and because she represents what I feel a human being has the potential to be: the embodiment of Ataraxia. She attained realization through knowledge, learning, experience and faith.

As a woman, the historical Magdalene believed in herself, and was not afraid of being among men who were often dismissive and aggressive towards her. Like Don Miguel Ruiz says "It's not about you, it's about them"... she let them be and continued to learn from her Rabboni. I think this is one of the best lessons the Magdalene has to offer, not so much in terms of machismo since it's about time we all get over that, but in terms of self-responsibility. In order to grow and evolve, we all need to take responsibility for our own circumstances. If a First Century Jewish woman could do it, then we all can!

I retouched this Magdalene just before her public appearance on September 10, 2010. She is very miraculous! A couple years ago the wind blew her away during a street fair and she came out unscathed! She has also fallen, had a bunch of dust fall all over her, gone up and down the four stories between my home and my studio (several times), and been caressed by my cat Mixta on various occasions. Yet, this is not why I retouched her. I feel I have grown a great deal in my painting technique and in my ability to catch weak spots over the last few years. So I wanted her to look the best she could. She is the Patron Saint of Gardeners, and they will all come after me if I don't make her look like the most beautiful flower in the field!

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This Mary Magdalene is available. Since all the people I know are not millionaires, I am happy to give you a payment plan. E-mail Me! or visit my store. Reproductions and greeting cards are also available.

Song of the Magdalene: Surrender (Peace in Your Arms: Infinite Love and Mercy)

2010-09-26T09:15:00.000-04:00

Surrender, Oil on Canvas Board, 9” x 12”, 2007

Why does this painting have so many titles...? Well, I had forgotten that I had already given it a title and then decided to make a contest to search for one! I got two great ones. Then I liked them all, because they all tell about the piece, and they all sing to my heart.

Years ago, in the midst of recovery from the stem cell transplant and the subsequent emotional turmoil that this created in my life, I began "receiving" words. The first one was compassion, the next was surrender. Then came imagination and finally, peace. The title contains 3 of these words. The painting contains them all.

When I first started learning about Mary Magdalene, it never occurred to me to relate the words to her. I struggled with the first two words for a long time. It took a long, long time to understand compassion. Surrender is an action rather than an idea, and it is extremely difficult to practice. I never thought of these words in relation to painting, but as I write about this piece, I realize that they were essential to my understanding the Magdalene.

Compassion and mercy are synonyms. In the title, it most obviously refers to Jesus Christ, but we can also see it a little different. I think that Jesus Christ helped Mary Magdalene have compassion for herself. This way he liberated her from "7 demons." By seeing herself in his presence, the presence of Pure Love, she accepted the Atonement that he was there to give her. What else could atonement be but the acceptance of the self as innocent and divine. Our "sins" are washed away by compassion. This is the moment in which Love transforms the Magdalene.

I don't really care whether the Magdalene was Jesus Christ's wife or not. It does not matter to the way I view this scene. Maybe Jesus was a healer that aligned her chakras, or maybe they were tantric lovers, or maybe he really exorcised her, or maybe she really was a prostitute and decided to change her life. These are all things I have come across while studying the Magdalene. But I like to keep it simple: The true instrument by which Mary Magdalene was transformed was Love. Is there any other possible explanation? I think this is the root to all the explanations. Mary Magdalene became one with Jesus Christ by his compassion and her willingness to see herself in the mirror of his Love.

This morning as I was taking a shower, I thought of the colors of this painting and realized something (we all know the best ideas come in the shower...) She is dressed in green just before her change. And green is the opposite color of red. From now on, she will be in red. I confess that I was thinking about green as the color of fertility as well as the color of hope. But I also know I chose this green because it was the only bright earth color that matched the color harmony in the painting. And that's the true reason why her dress is green!

Mary Magdalene surrendered to Love. She had compassion for herself and learned that her soul is pure. Christianity stands upon her vision of the Resurrection, a vision that cannot exist without imagination. She now dwells in the arms of peace, and guides all of us who ask her towards Infinite Love.

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If you are interested in this painting, a reproduction, or a greeting card, email me at tanyaetorres@yahoo.com or visit my store!

Song of the Magdalene: Mary Magdalene in the Garden

2010-09-25T10:02:00.003-04:00

Mary Magdalene in the Garden, Oil on Canvas Board, 7” x 9”, 2005

This is the third Mary Magdalene I painted in 2005. She is in peaceful meditation, surrounded by light and nature. She is in a garden that has both live and dead plants. The green leaves contrast the reds of the dress, sky and flowers. The dove sits on a branch, watching over her.

I have been asked several times why I use the color red for my Magdalenes. In traditional iconography, the Magdalene's color is red, just like the Virgin Mary's is blue. It is interesting to note that early on the Virgin Mary wore red as well because it was the color worn by influential Jewish women, but an edict was issued by the Catholic Church that red was the color of a prostitute and that the Virgin Mary was to wear blue (read here to read more about this). Since a Pope declared Mary Magdalene to be the same person as the sinner in the Bible, her customary color became red.

My Magdalene is definitely not a prostitute, but an influential Jewish woman. Of course, when I painted this, I was only referring to traditional iconography, because I didn't know any better! Since then, I have learned that red is the color of passion, power and action. I think these are qualities of the traditional Magdalene. She had passion to follow Jesus Christ and become a disciple in search for knowledge, she had power over herself to make her own choices, and she took action by staying at the foot of the cross while the other apostles hid, and by being the first witness to the Resurrection, Apostle to the Apostles.

I also did not know at the time that Mary Magdalene is considered the patron saint of perfumers and gardeners. The flowers that appear in the painting are my made up flowers. One day, when I still had Mixta Gallery, I made a large mural drawing on the wall and drew some of these flowers. A friend, who is also a reverend and studies religion, told me that I drew the Vesica Venus. Later, he sent me some information, correcting himself and saying that he had meant Vesica Piscis. This is a symbol of great mysticism, that I had never studied, but that we all have seen in art and mathematics. Learning this was very important for me, because it made me aware of being in touch with knowledge I did not consciously have. But being poets, of course, my friends and I loved the first name, and it stuck. So I call these flowers Vesicas de Venus, and you will see them in several other paintings and drawings.

Finally, death. My experience with cancer taught me that death is always present. My paintings celebrate life, but they also contain, as I contain, the knowledge of death. For me, death means that we only have access to our bodies for a finite amount of time, and that we must use then as best as we can to learn and experience the joys of our own creation. And we do this by using our gifts and sharing them. So death is a contrast, like the branches contrast with the bright halo of the Magdalene, a light we all contain within ourselves, the light of Infinite Love. And Love is the other name of God.

The little dove is the Holy Spirit. She is watching over the Magdalene, really, they are one. Holy Spirit is Sophia is Wisdom. And Wisdom, or knowledge of ourselves, is the goal we all have for this life.

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I want to share with you that Mary Magdalene and Sarah is sold to a wonderful woman and her daughter, and is going to Ecuador for the New Year! It fills me with joy that my painting will be with people I feel close to in my heart and spirit. Thank you!

Mary Magdalene in the Garden is available. For more information, email me at tanyaetorres@yahoo.com. If you would like a reproduction or greeting card, visit my store!

Song of the Magdalene: María Magdalena

2010-09-24T08:49:00.005-04:00

Oil on Canvas Board, 7” x 9”, 2005

My friend Migdalia made a comment yesterday that anticipated what I wanted to say about this painting. She said that the Magdalene looked Hispanic. She saw her like her own self. And this is what I intend for all of the Magdalenes: to make them look universal. I think that, if you look at this Magdalene, she could be from America, or Africa or the Middle East, or even Europe. She is you and she is me, the sacred feminine in all of us.

I painted Mary Magdalene in prayer because it is a universal praying gesture human beings use to connect with themselves and with the divine. Her eyes are closed from distractions, she is looking within in order to really see. This way, her light becomes bright yellow because her whole being is responding to this timeless moment.

When I paint her, I think of the Magdalene more as an idea than as an actual person who lived years ago. As a child, I heard somewhere, somehow, that we human beings are all part of a whole. I used to imagine myself as a dot of light going towards a great big Sun. I guess I was meditating without knowing it. Many people also believe in spirits, angels, and saints, and that these energies are all around us. I didn't think much of these things as I was painting this Magdalene, but later on, I realized that ideas become a reality when I am painting. I feel connected to the Magdalene in both of those ways: as part of a whole, and as a presence that guides me. By paying attention to what happens when I paint (or stop painting,) I have come to feel guided and nourished by the presence I identify as the Magdalene.

Last month I decided to write all these experiences, but they came out as a really long essay that I can't really share here. My conclusion, however, is that I have been discovering what it means to be "fully human", two words that struck me when I read the Gospel of Mary. In many ways, she has become my muse and my guide into the world of the imagination, a very human quality that is part of our "fullness."

This is the second Magdalene I painted in 2005. I always start with a drawing, and what I look for is a sort of iconic image, lines that will help define the character of the painting. I always try to remember to keep these drawings for another project that I am working on, a coloring book, so here it is. It is a little gift for you to express my gratitude for your visit to this blog. Download it and color it, make it your own and remember the bliss of creation!
https://files.me.com/tanyaetorres/zej2h2 (available for the next 5 days)

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This original is already sold, but it you would like to order a greeting card or reproduction, click here: http://web.mac.com/tanyaetorres/iWeb/Site/Shop_Paintings.html

Song of the Magdalene: Mary Magdalene and Sarah

2010-09-22T17:59:00.005-04:00

Mary Magdalene and Sarah

11” x 14”, Oil on canvas board, 2005

Mary Magdalene and Sarah is the first painting in the series Song of the Magdalene. It comes out of reading the book The Woman With the Alabaster Jar. Author Margaret Starbird explores different theories about the biblical Mary Magdalene, among them that Mary Magdalene could have had a daughter by Jesus Christ called Sarah, whom gypsies today adore each year as Saint Sarah the Egyptian in the french town of Saintes-Maries-de-la-Mer.

Since my previous paintings were about mothers and babies, this Mary Magdalene is a sort of transition into the newer series of Mary Magdalenes. It also helped me establish the color palette that would evolve into the more intense reds and yellows of the paintings that were to follow.

In this painting I seek to portray the sacredness of a moment shared by a mother and her baby, a moment which enlightens them both and lets their souls continue to be one in timeless eternity.

***

To buy this painting, a greeting card with this image or a reproduction, visit my shop!

Praising Life

2010-05-28T13:01:00.001-04:00

Yesterday, for my friend Luis Rodriguez, whose poem "Praise" inspired this image.

Bathroom Murals: My Poetry Murals at P.S. 57, NYC

2010-05-12T22:09:00.001-04:00

Drawings

2010-04-29T20:06:00.007-04:00

Not too long ago, I felt like I was not having any fun being an artist. So I decided to play with ink.

Mosaics at East Harlem Bilingual Head Start

2010-02-23T10:10:00.004-05:00

*The darker parts on the grout mean that it was still drying when I took the photos!

Books for the Winners of the Sacred Poetry Contest

2010-02-14T19:43:00.001-05:00

Lola Rodríguez de Tió

2010-02-05T15:30:00.004-05:00

One of my dreams is to create a mosaic mural in the crib of my soul, San Germán, Puerto Rico. This the design I created to propose to the mayor. In the image you see golondrinas (swallows), because we all grew up singing the San Germán Anthem: "Porque allí no se ven golondrinas, como siempre las vemos aquí"(because there you don't see swallows, as we always see them here). It was not written by Lola, but I found this poem that mentions birds, that is very appropriate. A bird flies, a bird sings, a bird creates life and makes the sky more beautiful. The hibiscus are the flowers that grew next to my grandmother's house, and that I relate to San Germán. And they are red and colorful and open to the world and to the birds. The obvious is mandatory, the Porta Coeli, but the old view of it, the way it used to look when I was still living there.

I hope he hires me!

Mary Magdalene of the Roses arrives at her new home

2010-02-05T15:27:00.002-05:00

¡Por fin llegó a su casa! She finally made it to her new home!

Here is "the artist's corner" at Holy Rosary Church in East Harlem, where my Free 2010 workshops take place once a month.

New Mosaic Designs: Side Panels for 2009 Mural

2010-02-05T15:26:00.001-05:00

The white dots coming from the sky are going to be mirrors or some fancy tiles, representing: Wine, amrita, ambrosia, dew, tea, elixir, honey, virgin's milk References to a secret or forbidden drink appears in the writings and songs of initiates throughout the world. It is a drink that imparts wisdom, inspiration, prophecy, divine madness, and bliss.

Desings for Day Care Commission

2009-10-01T15:39:00.000-04:00

Song of the Magdalene

2009-09-04T10:58:00.003-04:00

These are some photos of my new book with Raquel Z. Rivera, Canción de la Magdalena, part of a larger project that includes a CD by Raquel, several other art pieces by me and a lot more!

Cuerpo de paz (Obras digitales)/Peace Body (Digital Art)

2009-07-15T14:37:00.001-04:00

Vuelo (Flight)

Un gran amor (One Great Love)

Noche (Night)

Jaula (Cage)

Dreams and Joys

2009-06-10T18:39:00.003-04:00

New Mural: Children Creating Their Own World

2009-06-02T16:45:00.000-04:00

Article in Daily News

2009-05-14T14:04:00.001-04:00

http://www.nydailynews.com/latino/espanol/2009/05/14/2009-05-14_tanya_torres_artista_con_letras_o_pinceles_.html

Visit my other blog: hoy-artista.blogspot.com and my website www.tanyatorres.com!

Come to the presentation of my book!

2009-03-29T11:43:00.002-04:00

Synopsis of the New Book

2009-03-20T10:31:00.001-04:00

Cuerpo de paz: Repercusiones de la batalla (Peace Body: The Aftermath of the Battle) recounts the transformation of the author, who after surviving cancer and a bone marrow transplant, finds that her problems are not over. She soon realizes that being sick gave her the opportunity to experience her creative potential, but she is letting her old fears lead her back into a life she can no longer accept. Through journal entries, essays, lists, letters and other forms of autobiographical writing in her blog Hoy, artista, she begins to create and experience a new life full of art, magic, love and, above all, peace to allow herself to be who she always wanted to be.

New Book

2009-03-16T07:22:00.001-04:00

This is my new book, based on My blog Hoy, Artista. It will be born on April 17 with LART at Barnes & Noble Lincoln Center!

What I do to rest from the mural

2009-01-16T14:40:00.004-05:00

This is Corazón, the dancer and creative soul who inspired me to create this bag for her dance slippers as a birthday gift. The reaction of the guests inspired me to create some more paintings for a line of purses/totes. The last one, the Spiral, is also meant as an example for a workshop at Columbia Presbyterian with the Narrative Medicine group I attend. The workshop is meant to help patients use color and art to generate a state for happiness to facilitate healing (more about this later in my other blog Hoy, artista.)

Corazón con su bolso mango al crochet, pintura sobre tela de algodón cosida al bolso.

Besada por las estrellas/Kissed by the Stars
Dorada/Golden
Chica con flores en el pelo/Girl with Flowers
Corazón/Heart
Niña del carnaval/Carnival Girl

Mujer y ave/Woman and Bird

Espiral/Spiral

Mural Progress

2009-01-07T13:38:00.000-05:00

Printing

2008-10-30T11:50:00.002-04:00

For those who have asked about the process of making a mural like this, I'll try to document it here step by step.

The first step. of course, was coming up with a concept. This is probably the hardest part, especially because I have to please both myself and Mr. Soto. It is extremely important that he is happy both because I am very grateful for the opportunity and because he has a vision for the school in which the murals play a large role. As for myself, if I don't feel it, how can I work on it?

The second step is designing the mural. I might start with a general concept and a very rough drawing, but the image starts evolving once I start gathering photos. In this case I took photos of two girls who have received dance scholarships for their work in the tap class offered by the after school program for which I work, Say Yes to Education. This is a program that is so wonderful for the kids and for us workers that I came to help out for two weeks and stayed indefinitely. One of the rewards is seeing the children grow and develop as individual persons. These two girls are extremely talented and, why not say it, so beautiful. The girl in the center is my art student. She is like a sponge: everything I teach, she learns immediately, but is also very free to just do her own thing. The painting in the background is hers. We did a Jackson Pollock exercise and she just took off. She is definitely an abstract painter, always working on patterns, using the elements of art like she invented them. The boy with the trumpet... do you recognize him? He is so big and handsome! He just got a new trumpet (which he obviously does not know how to play, look at his hands) and he did this pose for me so spontaneously. The other boy is the model from the first mural.

I work in layers in Photoshop, keeping everything separately so that I can erase or change without losing everything. I must have more than 50 layers in this image.

Once the image is approved (read Mr. Soto's comment in the previous post!) I start printing. I make a new copy of the final version, and flatten it. I work in a small size (1 inch: 12 inches) and 300 dpi. When it is time to print, I copy, cut and then paste into a new document one piece of the entire image, and then turn it into he final size it should have (the ratio above) by going to the menu under Image to Image Size... and changing the size. For example, if I want the final mural to be 6 feet tall, then I change the height to 72 inches. The width changes automatically when "Constrain Proportions" is checked at the bottom of the box. The reason I work small is that otherwise it would be too hard to process each change to the image. 300 dpi are enough to make it big without losing resolution.

Then I cut and paste into a new document pieces that fit into a regular 8.5 x 11 page and print each separately, then cut it and assemble it as a giant jigsaw puzzle. This process can easily take a week. This is what I am doing right now.

New Mural

2008-10-28T13:25:00.001-04:00

The Garden of Dreams

This is the third and last mural of the series, and I hope it is a grand finale, although that's for you to judge. For me, it summarizes the other two, and brings us into a world that is real and magical at the same time. The children are pursuing their dreams, working towards their goals, letting the world and themselves know what they want. Mr. Soto once asked me to include some words into the image, but at the time I felt they did not quite fit in. This time, however, the words were the natural and logical thing to do. I thought they could be a message to the children, and the entire school, about the role of dreaming in our lives. I guess I wanted to share my own philosophy....

Dreaming is strength,

dreaming is joy,

Dreaming is faith, power and will,

for when we dream,

and play our songs,

and dance our lives,

and paint our hopes,

we tell the world,

and ourselves,

there are no limits

to our success.

At the time I am writing this, Mr. Soto has no seen the image, and I still have to design two side panels in which I will include a young trombone player and another instrument player (not sure yet which instrument...,) but the main panel will define the two sides and I think he will like it. This is a bigger mural and, as always, a bit scary to think about how long it will take to complete and how much work it will require, but I also like the challenge of creating something big and complicated that hopefully will live longer than I do. Most importantly, making something that touches the lives of people and inspires them to pursue their dreams at the same time I realize my own dream of creating art and living a life in which art sustains and supports me both materially and spiritually. Right now, I am full of gratitude and love. ATARAXIA.

Cancion de la Magdalena (Song of the Magdalene)

2008-06-26T14:42:00.004-04:00

papiro
anks
grabado para portadas
instrumentos
pinceles

portadas

He tratado de mantener la disciplina del mural para terminar este proyecto que lleva desarrollándose (y evolucionando) tres años. Al final, terminé diseñando el libro completamente, y hasta la canción cambió, pero estoy muy contenta con el resultado.

Se trata de un libro que contiene una canción escrita por Raquel y que está basado en tantas conversaciones y pensamientos acerca de María Magdalena. En el proceso comencé a estudiar los íconos bizantinos y cómo para pintarlos el artista tiene que ponerse en armonía con la idea que expresa el santo que está pintando. Inventé un alfabeto basado en el alfabeto copto y estoy pintando un ícono (a mi manera, pero tratando de ser fiel a la idea de la comunicación con el santo) y escribiendo cada libro a mano. Son 21, múltiplo de 7, número de la Magdalena. El papiro lo traje del viaje a Egipto. Los anks los hice con un molde que saqué de un ank que traje también de allá. Está cosido al estilo copto. Al final me vino a la mente la palabra ex voto y así lo he dedicado al final. Es un trabajo que me ha obligado a entregarle lo que tenía y lo que no, y siento que me ha hecho crecer. Ya tengo el #1 y sólo me faltan 2 detalles. Tan pronto tenga la secuencia de fotos, lo presentaré aquí.

2008-05-27T13:49:00.001-04:00

A leaf fluttered in through the window this morning, as if supported by the rays of the sun, a bird settled on the fire escape, joy in the task of coffee, joy accompanied me as I walked.
Anais Nin

Great Joy has accompanied me, too, in the task that began 2 years ago and that I now look forward to celebrating. I had never done a mosaic, and my only experience doing a mural was at the age of 14, when a teacher asked me and a classmate to copy an image she liked and paint a mural outside her classroom. But I decided to have faith and trust myself as Mr. Israel Soto, the principal of P.S. 57, was trusting me when he proposed that I do a mosaic mural on the wall of his beautiful school. Like I often do when I fear something a great deal, I dove into it and began cutting little tiles without a second thought.

I really meant to celebrate the completion of the first mural, but time passed and projects and life went on without pause, and I soon saw myself finishing another wall full of tiny pieces of glass. Now, with the completion of the second one (a third one is to come next year), I feel I want to pause, reconnect with friends, share some nice things to eat and drink, and feel the warmth of the people who have supported me all these years with their words of encouragement, love and trust. Please come and celebrate with me, and bring me a little of your good energy and love. I hope you enjoy seeing the murals and I will really enjoy seeing you!

Tanya

When: June 6, 2008
Where: PS 57, 115 Street between Lexington and 3rd Avenues
Time: 6:00-8:00 pm
Info: 646-267-9681
Transportation: #6 to 116 Street, buses: M101, M102, M103, M98, M1, M2, M3, M4

Invitation

2008-05-27T12:36:00.002-04:00

Mosaic Done, Mural Almost Finished

2008-04-30T06:41:00.001-04:00

Now I only need to peel the wax paper from the back, mount it on the wall and place the grout. Almost done!

Spots

2008-04-21T17:40:00.002-04:00

Mural, Work on the Last Part

2008-04-21T11:46:00.002-04:00

This is the last part of the mural. If everything goes well, I'll be done in 3 or 4 days. Then comes the part that, for me, is the hardest: placing it on the wall. But... one thing at a time. I'm just glad it's almost done, it looks good, and I'll be done on time for the deadline, May 15, to present it during a big show that takes place in the school called Mano a Mano.

Progress, just one more piece

2008-04-16T22:18:00.001-04:00

Next week I will eat, sleep and breath mosaic, since there are no classes and I'll have all day to finish on time for May 15th.

Excuse the mess! (Hope you like it!)

2008-03-28T22:15:00.000-04:00

Progress for the last two weeks

2008-03-16T20:36:00.002-04:00

The Aztec dancer girl is done. This is the boy that goes on the other side of the main part of the mural. I also started the large part and it is going well.

I'm out of words and out of breath, too. I have been working consistently (and long hours) this week and have accomplished a lot. Most days I end up wit my whole body in pain, especially my hands. I don't think I have finished half of the mural, but I'm getting close. I only have two more months, but need at least two weeks to mount it on the wall and grout it. So I don't have too much time and have to continue working at this brutal pace. I now know I can do anything I set out to do! I only have to work this way. I miss walking in the city, but can't complain: this is how I want to live. (With really long vacations, of course!)

First panel (almost) done

2008-03-01T20:00:00.002-05:00

I've been working on this all day, only stopping for food, water and a little love from my son. I'm not compeltely done, but must wait for the black and green tiles to arrive in order to finish. I'm note really done yet for today since I expect to finish the feathers on the girl's head, but tomorrow I'll finally go on to the center and largest panel.

Left panel of the mural

Face of the Aztec dancer (she is in costume, a girl learning dance and culture, and transported into a new world through dance and music)

The blue butterfly is for Raquel!

New Mural in Progress

2008-02-19T15:43:00.002-05:00

It is very hard to start something so big... but once I placed the first tile, I couldn't stop.
A few weeks ago I had created the design and assembled some of the mesh on wax paper. Then on Thursday, I created tile frames for the two side panels. Last week, the children in my art class at P.S. 57 helped trim the printouts and assemble one of the panels. Then I finished doing the rest with my friend Raquel. Finally, I gathered the courage to put the whole mural together. It looked like a gigantic jigsaw puzzle.

The work you see here is for the left side panel, a young aztec dancer surrounded by nature, sky, butterflies and a snake. I used an image from the Aztec dance presentation that a wonderful couple of Aztec dancers, created last year with the children.

Traje de novia (Cuba 2007)

2007-10-28T19:59:00.000-04:00

Studio Stuff

2007-06-04T16:49:00.001-04:00

Click To Play

The Sculpture

2007-06-02T10:42:00.000-04:00

The moment has come to go back to work on the sculpture. This is what I came up with after some work with tesserae. Of course, I'm not working on this on my own, but I enjoyed discovering that the little gray cubes are great for writing!

(Almost) Done!

2007-05-11T21:06:00.000-04:00

Tomorow we will place it on boards, Monday or Tuesday it will go up on the wall. Thursday will be the presentation. Then I will be able to say "Done", but for now, I feel relieved and accomplished!

Casi, casi...

2007-05-03T07:37:00.000-04:00

Aún faltan varios días de trabajo. Pero ya la imagen surgió. Hace una semana tenía prácticamente toda la parte derecha del mural en blanco. ¡Hoy espero terminar lo único que queda en blanco! Luego agarraré poco a poco los detalles. En las fotos que he puesto aquí falta casi una tercera parte del mural. Está casi completo, pero permanece en la escuela, que fue donde comencé a trabajarlo.

More Mural

2007-04-29T23:43:00.000-04:00

Some Photos of the Mural

2007-04-26T14:24:00.001-04:00

I have almost completed the most complicated and intense part of the mural.

I confess that, when I designed the mural, I had no idea how I was going to do the children around the tree ...

The World, the Sun, a nest.

A little gift for those interested in personal iconography...

Mosaic Mural

2007-03-16T22:52:00.000-04:00

I have been working for months on the design and other technical matters of and 11' by 7' mosaic mural. This venture came about when the principal of P.S. 57 saw my work and had this dream of commissioning a mosaic mural for his school. The school is already full of art, both by the children and by professional artists. The art teacher at the school has done some wonderful work with the kids, and the principal, Israel Soto is his name, is a true lover of art who has turned this little school into a beautiful oasis of learning.

The process for this mural so far has been as follows:
1. Drawing a preliminary sketch and submitting it to the principal. The sketch was very rough and didn't really show the features of the children or many of the details.
2. I met with Soto and he asked if it would be possible to incorporate music. He is a musician. I said "No problem." This was a great idea. It really added a special touch to the final design.
3. I photographed some of the children at the school. Most of them are my students since I work in the Say Yes to Education after School Program. They were happy to pose for me and I got exactly what I had in mind. I wanted the profiles to be just right, and had a little girl in mind, whom I was fortunate enough to see that day. The boy I had in mind had misbehaved and couldn't make it, but I found a great substitute. In fact, he is the right boy for the mural and it was a lucky situation for me.
4. I downloaded the photos and build the composition in Photoshop. Then I posterized the image to simplify it and change the colors.
5. Here comes the boring part: I divided the image into 268 squares, representing 6 square inches each. I enlarged each piece and printed it out, one by one. This took several days. I wouldn't do it for more than two hours because I don't deserve that kind of punishment...
6. I cut each piece and numbered it. Several days too...!
7. I put the jigsaw puzzle together. That took a whole day. I spent the weekend in bed since I had to use muscles I had not used since teenagehood...
8. I invited Mr. Soto to see. He couldn't see the whole thing, but was impressed by 3/4 of it! I gave him some wine just to make sure he would like it, but he didn't drink it and still liked it...
9. I waited for the money to buy supplies, but in the end got tired and proceeded to calculate the number of tiles. This took another two days and a couple of headaches, as well as all the math I could conjure. In the end I felt accomplished, but had to rest for two hours after placing the order. They even cancelled my credit card because mosaic materials are so expensive and the card company thought someone was pretending to be me.
10. I waited almost two weeks for the tons of boxes to arrive. Thousands and thousands of little glass tiles in all colors!
11. In the meantime, I placed mesh over the mural after dividing it into 3 vertical pieces. This was easier than I had imagined, but had to redo it because the tape was not working and I decided sewing was a better solution.
12. The day after the materials arrived I showed up at the school to work. Mr. Soto got me tables, space and students to help. I have 5 big girls and boys (7th and 8th graders) who will be my assistants. They are all so serious and seemed excited about the project!
13. Today I spent 9 hours working on the hair and face of the boy (left). It was exhausting, but wonderful! I look forward to the next two months working on this project.

Thanks Manny Vega for all your advise and the time you took to talk to me and teach me! I wasn't a good student because I was too nervous about the sculpture and the begining of the school year, but listened to every little piece of advise you gave me!

Sagrario: Erotic Poetry

2007-03-07T09:20:00.000-05:00

Slideshows

2006-11-29T05:57:00.000-05:00

I have been working on the new website, and part of that work is to find images I want to place there. Here are some slideshows of the images I have so far.

And take a look at this: the first piece I made when I moved to this house where I live now. I was into doing portraits back then, and as I was unpacking, I found some photos. I used images and symbols of my childhood and adulthood in this portrait. It is mostly about the sadness I felt all the time and how it had never gone away. I wrote some poetry on it as well, I don't remember what I wrote though.

My friend Verónica saw the picture and wanted to buy it. She is probably the only person I could have sold it to, but she liked it that much and has carried it with her since then. Actually, I think her friend Don has it now. He was the one who shared this picture with me. Here it goes. Thanks Don!

Watercolors Slideshow

2006-11-29T05:49:00.000-05:00

Cuerpo de batalla

2006-11-29T05:48:00.000-05:00

Some drawings

2006-11-29T05:44:00.000-05:00

Another Slideshow!

2006-11-29T05:39:00.000-05:00

Slideshow!

2006-11-18T09:48:00.000-05:00

Maria Magdalena

2005-08-07T01:22:00.000-04:00

Desde que conocí más de su posible papel al principio del cristianismo , y de los hechos que la relegaron a ser "prostituta", me fascinó su personaje y la idea de pintarla. Estas imágenes son las primeras que hago sobre este tema. El plan es hacer un libro junto con mi amiga, la escritora Raquel Z. Rivera, quien escribió una canción en su honor. Esperamos que este proyecto esté completo, por lo menos completamente diseñado, en noviembre de 2005.

Sirenas

2005-08-05T21:52:00.000-04:00

Un poco por practicar las destrezas perdidas en la acuarela, me puse a pintar sirenas. Creo que éstas no serán las últimas.

Eros y Psiquis

2005-08-05T02:51:00.000-04:00

Ya no recuerdo de donde surgió el tema de Eros y Psiquis. [¡Acabo de recordar!] Surgió porque un día al equipo del periódico Siempre se nos ocurrió hacer una actividad en Jake's Bar llamada "Homenaje a Eros", o sea, una excusa para leer literatura erótica en voz alta. Se supone que también habría una exposición de arte. De ahí surgió la primera imagen que luego ha ido evolucionado. Algunos planes para esta serie son un libro de poesía erótica, un libro para colorear (yeeee!) y una serie de imágenes al óleo. En estos momentos sólo he completado dibujos, tres grabados y tres acuarelas, pero tengo muchas otras en proceso. Aquí aparecen tres versiones del mismo dibujo. El grabado fue el primero de los tres.