A Latin Art Affair
BY NANCY STETSON Florida Weekly correspondent

>>Laguitarra by Ernesto Masis

Artists are the sum of their histories - all they've seen, all they've learned, all they've experienced - mixed with their individual vision, talent and dreams.

"It's difficult to explain my artwork," says Naples artist Juan Diaz. "I have so many influences. My work sometimes has a surrealistic feel to it. A lot of times I use colors they used in the Renaissance, the palette. I use a variety of styles and techniques. My idea as an artist is that each one should be looking to create something new, use a combination of old techniques to create a different style.

"Recently I've been doing a lot of oil painting. And I've begun playing with latex paint and acrylics, a combination of both. I pour a lot of latex to create a background field and do something abstract on top. I'm still developing it."

Diaz's work - excluding his recent experiments - will be on exhibit at the Harborside Event Center in downtown Fort Myers for the next two months, along with the work of four other Latino artists. "A Latin Art Affair," which runs through Nov. 28, will have its opening reception from 5 to 8 p.m. Friday, Sept. 7.

>>Dream Series by Lidia Haydee Vieytes Dick

The other artists include Doris Ramos, a native of Venezuela, known for her oil and watercolor portraits and still lifes. Ramos was commissioned to paint the portrait of President Jaime Lusinchi of Venezuela and King Juan Carlos I of Spain. Ernesto Masis, of Costa Rica, has had exhibits at the Berne & Sydney Davis Art Center, the ACT Gallery and the Southwest Florida Museum of History. He'll also be on exhibit at the Alliance for the Arts during September.

Amarillis Veliz, born in Cuba, trained at the National School of Cubanican Art and did postgraduate work in industrial design and textiles. And Lidia Haydee Vieytes Dick, of Argentina, also studied in Mexico, Brazil, Thailand and China. She creates abstract painting and sculpture.

Diaz is enthusiastic about the show.

"I think it's great that Latin American artists are being recognized," he says. "I think artists need to unite. It's hard for an artist as an individual, but to come out to the public as a group works a lot better. I'm hoping to meet all the Latin American artists I'm showing with."

>>Nostalgia Nocturna 2 by Amarillis Veliz

"Latin American artists have so much to offer in their work," says Bob Encarnacion, president of Three Kings Productions, who assisted with putting together the show. "They tell stories in their work."

Encarnacion is thrilled that these five Latin American artists will have the opportunity to show their work in downtown Fort Myers, noting that the exhibit ties in with Hispanic Heritage Month, which runs from Sept. 15 through Oct. 15.

Diaz, whose father is a professional sculptor and ceramicist, grew up in a creative home. "It's important for an artist to have the support of a creative mind," he says. "It's a great help when you feel supported from your household." His father taught Diaz to draw at age 4, teaching him to how to render the face and the body in proper proportion. Diaz started painting at 12, the same year he immigrated from Colombia to Naples.

>>Untitled by Doris Ramos

"Dad told me, the most important thing to know is where you came from, to know what has been done, so you know where you can take it. From an early age, I knew it was important to know the great masters in all the arts. All the arts are interrelated -- not just painting, ceramics and sculpture, but writing and dance too."

He learned about European art, he says. Now he's going back to his roots.

"Now I'm taking my time to learn my Colombian roots," he says. "The Indian side of me and the African side."

He admires Picasso, "who started with Cubism but never let that be the only style. He was always looking for something more marvelous," Diaz says.

"I think an artist always has to be learning, always looking for that new thing. Painting is life itself seeking for something new, always seeking." ¦

l If you go

>> What: "A Latin Art Affair" featuring the artwork of Doris Ramos, Ernesto Masis, Juan Diaz, Amarillis Veliz and Lidia Dick

>> When: Opening reception from 5-8 p.m. Friday, Sept. 7; show runs from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sept. 7-Nov. 28

>>Dont just Look Observe by Juan Diaz

>> Where: The Harborside Event Center, 1375 Monroe Street, downtown Fort Myers >> Cost: Free >> Information: Call 768-3602