Yvette Arteaga (Kunst)

*****
Creative and edgy, but with a soft spot. Not only does this description fit Yvette Arteaga's view of her contemporary and abstract artwork, she feels it describes her character as well. This young woman says that her artwork is her form of communication, and a piece of her can be found in all of her paintings.

The youngest of three children, she is the first in her Cuban-American family to be born in the United States. Through her father's interest in carpentry, she realized very early in life that she too wanted to express herself through her hands. When she "discovered" painting, she knew she had found her passion.

A self-taught artist, Yvette considers herself very fortunate to have had several mentors—first, her father, and then a high-school teacher who recognized her talent and encouraged her to pursue her dream.

Later, Yvette met a local artist who made a huge impression on her and strongly influenced the direction she would follow. From this collaboration, she learned how to look outside of the box, how to use colors and not to be afraid to experiment. Yvette says, "She woke me up to a lot of techniques," and under her guidance, Yvette's art flourished. Naturally, at first many of Yvette's paintings were similar to her mentor's, but as her confidence and painting techniques grew, her own style surfaced.

Yvette was hired by Rosenbaum Fine Art as an artist and found the art director to be very supportive and encouraging of her talent. Almost ready, she needed to learn one more lesson: how to use balance and to understand how important it is. It proved to be the most challenging task she had yet encountered. But by observing the work of other artists and dedicating herself to long hours of work, a new maturity emerged and was clearly visible in her art.

Yvette usually starts a painting by drawing a couple of lines. From there, it is an evolutionary process. Since color sets the tone of the painting, it is usually the next choice she makes. Typically, abstract art is painted in bold primary colors, but, depending on her mood, she may decide to use earth tones. Her work is driven by emotion, imagery, and passion. All of these elements combine to produce an energy in the painting as well. There is a message in her art although it is always hidden. She prefers that the people who look at it interpret it using their own imaginations. She feels that while she is the artist, who is she to say what her work means to someone else? Her art is also a source of personal liberation because words describing her feelings do not come easily, but through her paintings, she has a pathway to express her emotions.

Photography is another outlet. After taking photographs of a friend's band, other groups began asking her to take theirs too. She would catch them just goofing around having a good time and shoot. Much to her surprise, these photos were very well received and wound up in local papers and magazines.

Future plans are to continue painting. She would like to have the opportunity to go to Cuba to live for a while and soak up some of the culture. There is no doubt in her mind that this will positively impact her painting. And someday she hopes to achieve her biggest dream, which is to publish a book of her paintings. The little girl who dreamt of being an artist has found that living it is even better than she imagined.

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