Ask the Artist

Over the past few months not only my website and blog hits have increased (mind you, I’m getting between 1500-3500 hits per day), but the number of questions I’ve received have increased dramatically. To many I was able to refer directly to my F.A.Q. (which now I can see is quite outdated!) but many have asked new questions, I had to write the answers for. I don’t mind answering questions at all, but I find myself spending more time answering the same question over and over again, than painting.

Since I know many of my visitors are shy and don’t want to ask me for fear they would disturb the flow of my creative juices (with three kids, 2 cats and 1 dog that seems at this point almost impossible to accomplish, so don’t worry and ask away) I decided to create a post just for your questions, which will eventually make it to the F.A.Q. pages (once we hire my new assistant that is!) › Continue reading

On my Easel Right Now – A New Opportunity to Collect Art

On My Easel Right Now is a new section I’ve created on my website featuring a work-in-progress that I happen to be working on at the moment.

This came out after many of my clients, collectors and galleries wanted not only to have a chance to see what I’m currently working on but wanted a chance to buy it before anyone else. So after a lot of thinking we decided it would be great to give my collectors a financial break and give them the chance to buy the new freshly painted artwork for a fraction of it cost before it’s released at regular gallery retail price. › Continue reading

1 Week ONLY! All Daily Paintings on Sale

I’m cleaning my studio/gallery to make space for all the large paintings I’ve been working on, so this is your chance to purchase the painting you always wanted but couldn’t afford.

All my daily paintings and I mean ALL my daily paintings are on sale @ $75 each!

There is a catch though the sale ends September 2, 2010, so hurry before they are gone.

Start Collecting My Art NOW! >>

First National Merchant Solutions – A Scam or a Bad Business?

In February of 2009 I was approached via phone by Jason Carpenter a sales representative for First National Merchant Solutions (FNMS) offering me what I thought was the best offer any business could possibly have, a great pocket saving, credit card processing company. The rate were great 2.16% + 0.20 cents on VISA, 2.37% + 0.20 cents on MasterCard, 3.67% + 0.20 cents on Discovery and a monthly fee of $7.50.

When I signed up I was verbally promised 1 year agreement with auto-renewal and no early termination fees if I stayed for at least a year, which sounded reasonable. He said my contract agreement would be mailed after signing the contract, which I thought unusual, but hey, its First National Bank right? they have been in business for ever. During the negotiation I mentioned to Jason I was already PCI Compliant with my website through McAffee (former Scan Alert), for which he asked what was that? Little old me had to explain one of the biggest bank institutions what PCI Compliant meant for the credit card industry and how it affected online e-commerce. He replied saying that was fine but that they were not involved with it at all. Which I thought it was quite weird since the law for merchant services and e-commerces was passed in June 2006. › Continue reading

Living with a 9p+

It took me a while to get this out not because I’m embarrassed but because I didn’t want to be placed or place my daughter in the position of scrutiny and answer tons of questions. Nonetheless I came to realize that no matter what people will ask as they have being asking for 12 years every time they see us at the mall or the beach, everyone is curious to know why, how and when… some questions have being senseless and quite painful and many people have pointed and laughed (to me those are the ones who I consider retarded) but I guess is human nature, I’m just too jealous and in a way have been shielding her from everyone and everything as much as I possibly could. She’s my baby, why wouldn’t I?…

Her name is Daniela Cristina and she’s my daughter. She’s 12 years old and was born with a very rare syndrome that affects less than 200000 kids in the US, a condition that is even more rare than Down Syndrome and Autism combined. The syndrome is commonly known as 9p+ (Rethoré syndrome). This syndrome runs in my family, on my mother’s side, which was not known to us until Daniela was born. 3 of our family members were born with derivatives of this syndrome, my daughter (9p+) my nephew (older brother’s son 9p-) and my grand daughter -  I think that’s what she’s to me? – my nieces’ daughter (presumably 9p+ we’ll know when the results come out).

The expectancy of life in kids with this syndrome is not too high. Usually they die within the first 5 years of life, and the complications after birth are heart breaking to say the least. It takes a truly committed and strong parent to overcome all the obstacles but the rewards after the storm are incredible!… Daniela is 12 y/o which makes her an exception to the rule, for which we have been asked many times by genetics and doctors to let them study her, which we have refused to some and agreed to less invasive studies as we wanted to provide her of a normal life that any child has the right to. Because of the syndrome Daniela can’t verbally talk or walk the reason she’s on a wheel chair. She has the mental capabilities of a 2 years old in many activities and of an infant in many others. Nonetheless she completes our lives in ways that I can’t explain.

Daniela is a blast! she’s extremely sweet and has the smile of an angel! she likes to cuddle while watching tv and enjoys music and bright colors, and trust me there are PLENTY of bright colors in my house to stimulate her. Good thing I’m an artist huh?! Although she can’t talk or do any sign language she has told us many times how much she loves us. She’s smart and is able to let anyone know what she wants or doesn’t want even though she can’t talk. She’s the main reason I work so darn hard. Everything I do is for her, to make sure if something happens to me her and her brothers will have everything they need to continue their journeys.

I don’t want to think about the if’s of her condition, I don’t want to think for how long she’s staying with us in this life, these are things that don’t matter to me. What matters to me is that she’s here with us, that she chose us to be our angel on earth, to teach us things that no one could possibly imagine. She has taught us so many beautiful things and has given us soooo much without asking anything in return. She’s my angel and she will always be.

God bless you Dani, God bless you my beautiful angel.

To every parent that has a child with any disability I say don’t ever give up, don’t ever give or THINK to give your child up for adoption. They need you as much as you need them. Only a parent of a special needs child knows this and knows the journey is so well worth it.

Fabulous Dinner Time with a TRUE Friend

Last night I had a friend from high school coming over for dinner, Eduardo Gruber. I have to tell you this was a huge deal! see, I attended high school in a small town in the South of Venezuela, an industrial relatively new and modern city called Puerto Ordaz. We were team mates along with 2 others for 4 straight years and we both participated in the national mathematics competition, he got to the finals I got to the semi finals. For our entire high school years we discussed papers, did lab, got exited for high grades and supported each other when bad grades were inevitable.  So the fact he was here in Michigan thousands of miles away from where we originally came from was a big deal. So logically I had to get my chef hat out and prepare a more than awesome dinner. › Continue reading