Biography
Giselle Diaz was born in San Juan, Puerto Rico in 1961. In 1983 she moved to San Antonio, Texas with her husband, where they currently live. Her works consists of memories acquired from her native island of Puerto Rico and the culture is her inspiration. Its' beautiful landscapes, colors and scents are mirrored in most of Giselle’s paintings. She begins by taking photos of objects that she gravitates to and of places that she has traveled to with her husband. The mixture of these images and memories are then poured over Giselle’s palette to create this unique blend of colors.
Curriculum Vitae
Giselle Diaz
www.GiselleDiazArt.com
Born in San Juan, Puerto Rico 10/12/61
Education
2014 Bachelor in Fine Arts, The University of Texas, San Antonio, Texas.
2014 Bachelor in Art History and Criticism, The University of Texas, San Antonio, Texas.
Commissioned Artwork
2014 La Perla del Caribe, oil painting, Front page cover for the Puerto Rican Heritage Society, 30th Anniversary Commemorative Publication, San Antonio, Texas.
Selected Public Collections
2014 Coco Frio, The University of Texas at San Antonio, Permanent Art Collection, San Antonio, Texas.
Professional Service
2015 Judged the Third Annual Congressional Art Competition, District 20 at The University of Texas at San Antonio, San Antonio, Texas.
2014 Gardens of San Juan, SAHA artist selection committee member.
2014 Curated an Exclusive Fine Art Auction for the Hispanic Women Network of Texas, Annual Conference, San Antonio, Texas.
2014 Judged the Second Annual Congressional Art Competition, District 20 at The University of Texas at San Antonio, San Antonio, Texas.
2013 Curated an Exclusive Fine Art Auction for the National Young Democratic Convention, San Antonio, Texas.
ARTIST STATEMENT
Art has been an important and delightful part of my life. I enjoy painting simple things in life, such as landscapes, colorful fruit markets, and nature itself. Memories of my native island of Puerto Rico and her culture are some of my inspirations. Other sources of inspiration derive from the thirty years residing in San Antonio, Texas and experiencing the traditions of the Mexican culture. The beautiful landscapes, colors and scents of these cultures are mirrored in most of my paintings.
I begin by shooting photos of objects I gravitate to, people I meet, and places I have traveled to with my husband. The combination of these images and my own memories are then poured over my palette to create a unique blend of colors. In the Fruit Series, 2015, acrylic on canvas, I concentrated on fruit commonly consumed in Puerto Rico, Texas and Mexico. The fruits I chose are Mangoes, Guavas, Quenepas, Oranges, Papayas and Pomegranates.
First, I acquire the fruit from the local market, and then proceed to arrange them to create a still life composition. After the still life is created, I shoot close up photos of the fruit. After this process is complete, I begin to paint my composition of each piece.
My goal is to convey to the viewer the need to understand the importance of appreciating life’s beautiful and simple things. I do this by sharing my memories and reflecting on the sensory imagery of Puerto Rico, Texas and Mexico. It gives me great pleasure and satisfaction to discuss the thought process of my work, particularly how my ideas and inspirations emerged.
