Welcome

Bienvenidos

Welcome to my website.

My reason for establishing the site is in answer to the often asked question, "What kind of paintings do you paint?"

I can never tell if people are really interested or just being polite. Alexander Calder once said,"When an artist explains what he is doing he usually has to do one of two things: either scrap what he has explained, or make his subsequent work fit in with the explanation."

Creativity exerts a strange force on artists that causes quirky supperstitions such as talking about work in progress or the "jinx factor", as I like to call it. Besides, "Painting requires a little mystery, some vagueness, some fantasy. When you make your meaning perfectly plain you end up boring people". Edgar Degas said that, and he should know. Let's face it, art is purely a visual discourse and nothing can be obtained talking about it.

Renoir said that the two qualities of a work of art are, "First, it must be indescribable, and second, it must be inimitable." So now, when people ask me about my paintings I can say, "go to the website" and it frees them up so that they can talk about what they really enjoy talking about; "themselves".

As an artist, I love hearing about others and "their" lives. All artists are voyeurs. It has to do with the fact that we work alone and are curious. That is the hallmark of the true artist. It's what drives the train. Curiosity is the realm of the child in all of us and Carl Jung had this to say: "The creation of something new is not accomplished by the intellect but by the play instinct acting from inner necessity. The creative mind plays with the things it loves". Evelyn Waugh chimes in: "A work of art is not a matter of thinking beautiful thoughts or experiencing tender emotions (though those are its raw materials), but of intelligence, skill, taste, proportion, knowledge, discipline and industry; especially discipline."

So there it is. The dichotomy of the artist. I thank the Creative Being that created the marvelous universe we inhabit every day, for allowing me to do what I do and to impart some measure of joy and happiness to others. I am fully aware of it and I am greatful to all my "Partners and Patrons" that share and understand my innermost thoughts and feelings.

Roberto Parrilla

San Juan, Puerto Rico

2003