Paola Beck

On December of 2012, we decided to finish the year being creative and learning how to do stencil. For the 4th Illustration and Painting Workshop of Street Art, Jenaro Visualcraft and myself organized an intensive weekend, where we learned the history of Street Art and started developing our own idea. Jenaro is a photographer, artist and friend who lives between Mexico City and Berlin, one of the most important capitals of Street Art in the world.

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Friday

On Friday we learned about the history of street art, the importance of the concept behind the idea and the social responsibility behind this kind of artistic expression.

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Saturday

On the next day, first thing in the morning, we developed our own idea and after printing our compositions, we started cutting out each layer of the stencil. Looong hours of cutting out.

Of course we also had time to chill, cook and eat

And after lunch, more cutting!

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Sunday

Spray paint time!!!!!

The catering was in charge of Pamela Macko, Nutritionist, artist and friend. Delicious and healthy menus all over the weekend

And after lots of work, sun and spray paint smell, this is what came out

Blanca, yoga teacher.

Martin, economist.

Dany, environmentalist.

Arturo, animator.

Paola, architect and painter.

Naiki, furniture designer and DJ.

Mafer, soon to be mom

Naoli, friend and business woman.

Martina, designer and artist.

Jenaro, photographer, street artist and globe trotter.

And myself.

From the 13-16th of June, the next workshop is going to take place in Puerto Escondido, a beautiful beach in Oaxaca, Mexico.

It will be an intensive workshop of four days focused in nature, and we will stay at Casa Mayita a beautiful house, surrounded by birds, open space and the pacific ocean. For more information please check out the event in Facebook, or write to paolabeck@hotmail.com.

This is a serie or 4 new illustrations called Sick Love. This one is called “Jim y su amor” and it was part of CASA DE EMPEÑO group exhibition at Anonymous Gallery Mexico City last february.

Separación inventada

Im in love with a dying man

Look outside

This 3 are part of the current show “Cadáver Exquisito” by White Spider, in Choapa 44, Mexico City. Songs by Natalia Lafourcade, or Lana del Rey inspired me for the titles. I did these drawings in a very dark moment, and I took it as a big challenge to work with very much patience like I did in my university days. And I loved it.

Last february we had the second Illustration and Painting Workshop here, in Mexico City.

I invited two visual artists Vena2 and Diana Quintero that gave very interesting lectures and practical lessons. After a long and intense weekend, where the theme was to focus on creating a collective thought and to develop this thought into reality, the magic happened.

The teachers

The object of the workshop was to open up our creative side, with a concept to stand on. It was very interesting to see how each different personality ends up merging with the whole group, creating an original and intelectual vibe that can only push you to surpass your creative limits.

Here are the members of the group:

Paco

Naiki

Diana Quintero

Pablo

Vena2

Dany

Montse

Andrea

Poncho

Cynthia

Paola

Lian

Martin

Domineta

and myself.

On Friday, we started warming up and then we painted with acrylics. Some, had never painted before, and big surprises came out!

On Saturday, we had theoretical introduction to the working progress of Diana and Vena2, and then we did collage based on that method.

The catering was in chargo of Flor de Rio

Lunchbreak!

Happy birthday Poncho!!!

On Sunday we did live model drawing and we continued painting the mural we started during the first workshop.

Lunchbreak in the park!

Planing how to continue the mural painted by the group of the first workshop.

Ready, set, paint!

The third illustration and painting workshop will focus on textile and fashion design, combined with drawing and sketching.

I will keep you posted on the invited artists and date! See you very soon

Part of  ”Entre perros y carreteras”  (between dogs and highways). In progress.

The bird sculpture was made by a friend of my adolescence and my very first love, Philipp Reichardt.

Steel and glass, 2000.

“Let the devil in o el fantasma tropical” This drawing was made after someone came into my room while I was sleeping alone in Puerto Escondido, took all my money and left in silence.

This was the wrapping paper of a gift.

Alvaro Nates, my official photographer did a shooting for Spot Magazine in Mexico City,

and I asked him for one picture to paint on. this is what came out. I love it! Its called Tiger.

“Frida en un jardín escocés” Oil on canvas, 2011

“En el norte” Watercolor on canvas, 2011

My dear photographer friend Ximena Romero took these pictures at the Illustration and Painting Workshop we did in November of last year. As she said “I have never painted in my life” some very interesting and creative drawings and paintings came out during the weekend, which is a proof that we all have plenty of artistic blessings, its just about bringing them out!

You should have a look at her blog, peti-rojo.tumblr.com. It has beautiful inspirational things and photographs.

Enjoy!

DAY 1

Neto is an audio engineer, and he was our official camera man during the weekend!  Guerrilla Recording. Frida is his loooovely chihuahua.

Contemporary Art (Theory)

Drawing exercises

Ximena´s first drawing!

DAY 2

Painting and Illustration Lesson 1

Lunchbreak!

Our first guest, mexican painter Rafael Uriegas. He teached theory of Modern Painting.

Juan Manuel Torreblanca is a very talented musician, poet and visual artist.

Natalia Lafourcade is a wise person, moving musician and songwriter, visual artist and friend.

Ximena´s first painting! Inspired by Elizabeth Peyton

DAY 3

Life Model Drawing

Lian is a psychologist and cultural promoter, she is part of Cultura Colectiva, a mexican collective that promotes emerging artists of all disciplines. She has invited me to do lots of collaborations!

Abraham is a graphic designer and illustrator, and Martin is an economist and artist.

René de la Rosa is a director, filmmaker, designer and drawer.

Wallpainting Lesson

Our second guest, Cocolvú, is a graphic designer, illustrator, painter, and prolific visual artist.

Paola Pineda (3rd on top) is an architect, painter, and artistic project director.

And Ximena Romero, our official photographer!

Happy and tired

A guest.

This is me, mucho gusto!

Thank you to everyone, I hope you enjoyed it as much as I did! I hope to see you all at the 2nd Workshop in February!

These are the T-shirts, bags, stickers and pins I did for Atto & The Majestics, for the Vive Latino Music Festival, 2011, in Mexico City. Thanks to the models from Rêves Agency, the styling from mexican fashion designer Roberto Sanchez and my official photographer, Alvaro Nates.

Alvaro Nates: http://setanphoto.tumblr.com/

Roberto Sanchez: http://robertosanchezonline.com/

Rêves Agency: revesagency@gmail.com

For half a year I worked with mexican rock band Atto & The Majestics, doing all the visuals for them, from their logo, corporate identity, graphic design, pictures to their artwork on cd´s, t-shirts, and merchandise for the Vive Latino Music Festival in Mexico City, 2011.

This is the double CD Bifocal, that came out in the summer 2010, by Imperial Records. It was very interesting and hard work to do this project, and it was the first time I did such a long and vast work for a band, I am very happy and thankful Atto chose me as an artist to do all this. Hopefully we´ll collaborate again soon

http://www.attoandthemajestics.com/

Pictures by Alvaro Nates: http://setanphoto.tumblr.com/

The picture of the girl on the cover is from a fashion photographer I admire a lot, called Alvaro Puentes, and I found it in my collage chaos, but I havent found his website! you are welcome to share it if you know it or him.

In November musician and visual artist Natalia Lafourcade invited me to do an illustration and painting workshop at her house in Mexico City, and we organized an intensive weekend of different lessons, with two visual artists as guests. Rafael Uriegas and Cocolvú .

We had lots of fun, and we did illustration, painting, collage, wallpainting, life model draw, modern painting and contemporary art (theory), proportion and shadows.

Here a few pictures of the 1st workshop, the next one will be early next year! ill keep you posted!

My very talented graphic designer friend Laura contacted me from Rome, saying that an independent film festival about suburbs wanted me to do their image and visuals, celebrating their 5th Aniversary.

I was inspired in the very strong, almost viewable border between center and suburbs in cities like Rome or Paris.

Pictures like this will always stay in my memory, and I feel honored to have had a collaboration with them, and support very much the idea of getting rid of the imaginary lines.

This is a sort of tribute to this city that gave me so much, where I learned so much and made me so happy. Here the drafts:

Poster

Program

Visioni Fuori Raccordo Film Festival:

http://www.fuoriraccordo.it/

Laura Mencarelli:

http://www.beltanedesign.it

Grazie pellegrina!