Murals by Tanya Torres - Schools in NYC

These are the murals and mosaics I created between 2006 and 2010 at the East Harlem Bilingual Head Start (116 street and Pleasant Avenue) and P.S. 57 (115 street between Lexington Avenue and 3rd Avenue) This video was made by Elisa Perea. The music is by Anonymous 4, some of the music I listened to while placing thousands of little mosaic pieces to create these images.

Puerto Rican Trigueña Muse

Puerto Rican Trigueña Muse by Tanya Torres, acrylic on tile, 6" x 6", 2013

Tonight at the Bronx Museum with my muses... soon I will paint a muso!

Muse of Red Thoughts

Muse of Red Thoughts by Tanya Torres, acrylic on tile, 6" x 6", 2013.

This muse will go to the Bronx Museum tomorrow!:

First Fridays!
6th Annual collaboration with the Havana Film Festival

FRIDAY APRIL 5, 6:00pm to 10:00pm

6th Annual collaboration with the Havana Film Festival. Music by DJ ASHO and special performance by Ivan Llanes & The Cuban Way.
Location: 2nd Floor North Wing

Taíno Sun Muse

Taíno Sun Muse, acrylic on tile, "6 x 6", 2012.

I just wanted to share the Taíno Sun Muse, at home now with Ana Alicea, the person who inspired me to keep making all these tiles with her continued support. Thank you Ana!

Los Tres Reyes Magos (The Three Wise Men)

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

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

Exotic Lady: Melancholy

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

Exotic Lady: Butterflies

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

Exotic Ladies

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.