Patricia Anastasi & Michael Romero Duran – Portraits Art Exhibition

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Patricia Anastasi – Corte Madera, CA – http://www.pattianastasi.com

Patti L. M. Anastasi was born in the suburbs north of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Proximity to museums and galleries in both Philadelphia and New York, provided inspiration and fueled her imagination for becoming a visual artist. Her work combines painting, photography, and mixed media and most recently book arts. Her subject matter leans towards the conventional but with a twist – something unexpected, slightly skewed, exaggerated, maybe humorous. “ I want the viewer to see common objects in an uncommon, not obvious, context”. Patti uses the creative process in a trusting manner, i.e. without a concrete goal, allowing images to unfold naturally, after which she discovers narrative in her work.

Patti holds a B.A. in Humanities and Art from Cedar Crest College, Graduate Certification in Healthcare Administration from University of San Francisco, and a Master’s degree in Psychology/Art Therapy from Notre Dame de Namur University. Since moving to the San Francisco Bay Area in 1991, she has been active in promoting the arts in San Francisco and Marin County through The Imagine Bus Project, an outreach program for children in underserved neighborhoods. She developed an after-school art program for Pickleweed Community Center’s Kid’s Club and has led expressive arts workshops for adults in Marin County. As an art therapist in private practice, Patti uses a positive psychology/humanistic approach to therapy that is based on the client’s strengths and interests. She believes in the innate creativity of humankind.

Patti’s work has been shown in various locations in California, Pennsylvania, New York, North Carolina, Grand Caymen Islands, and the U.K. She currently lives and works in Marin County, CA. and Asheville, NC.

Michael Romero Duran – Henderson, NV – http://facebook.com/romerofineart

Mike was born in January 29, 1992 in Santa Fe New Mexico, from an early toddler age his talent as an artist was realized by his Uncle, Joseph Romero, where they both would work side by side and draw. Amazed by the ability of his nephew and easily recognized as more than just a gift, the entire family took interest into Mike’s talent. Growing up on a ranch there was little to do but to be creative and this is where his grandparents at the time, Judy Romero (now Judy Garcia) and Ernest Romero supported his unique talents with loving support, stress free childhood and the materials to create something magnificent. Going through school he was always different when it came to art, both classmates and teachers thought of it as a blessing he had been born with and knew that something great would come of it.
“he, knew it, we all knew it, this day was going to come, he was born to do this!”
With no formal art training other than grade school Romero was fascinated by art styles. In 2011 he was introduced to the artwork of Jackson Pollock. “Pollock’s works with just splashes of color was instrumental in making me the artist I am today. When first viewed it looked like any child could do this, but when you really look at a Pollock there is order to his chaos. While his colors were splashed and dripped, they really did create an image that is appealing to look at.”
After seeing Pollock, Romero then started to study other famous aritsts. One in particular caught his eye…..Claude Monet. “With Monet’s works of Impressionism there is so little detail to the images but from a distance they make sense. I had the realization that if I could combine the Pollock splashes and drips but in a more ordered sense of image like a Monet, I could then have paintings that I would love of my favorite two artists.”
After experimenting and failing miserably Romero almost gave up hope on ever achieving the style of artwork that he wanted to create. Then fueled by inspiration he used his inventive abilities and came up with a concept of using a copper wire to mold a coil which allowed an even flow of paint in a controlled manner. The style Abstract Impressionism meets realism came to life.
His works were brought to the attention of Artist Group International, David Smith, and Chris DeRubeis after posting a few images on craigslist.com. DeRubeis called David Smith immediately upon seeing Romero’s images. Smith who discovered such artists as Christian Lassen, Michael Godard, Chris DeRubeis, Patrick Guyton, Crag Tracy, Colleen Black and many others, new that this a new style that would change the way people view fine art. DeRubeis who is one of the top selling artists of his time and inventor of his own style also knew this kid had something special about him.
“I have always been attracted to artwork that is unique and different than what is normally shown in Fine Art Galleries. I always look for the artist that creates a new style. Romero did just that by combining two masters techniques and making a style all his own.” Smith said in an interview in 2013
Today Michael Romero’s Artwork is enjoyed by people from all over the globe and is truly the next great master.