Art and Life in a NutShell

Antonio Fonseca, Corazon Atormentado, pencil water color and acrylic on paper, 10 3/4"x30", 2018

Antonio Fonseca, Right Hand, pencil water color and acrylic on paper; 10 3/4"x30", 2018

​​Ok blog friends, it’s me again. It’s been a long time since I have blogged or introduced new work for all of you to see. In 2015, if anyone asked if I was going to be out of the art world for such an extended time, I would have said, “You were crazy.” Let me reiterate something before we continue: not being present in the art world for some time does not mean, I was not creating. In many other ways, I was and had some showing here and there, but I was producing a lot, and I mean, a lot less work than I was used to. My mental and physical health, as well as other life events, popped up and said, “Hey, we are here, surprise.”
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My goal of becoming an established artist came to a sudden halt. Luckily, early in my development as an artist, I developed a strong foundation for my career. Like I said, I was lucky that I had a bunch of people by my side as I embarked on this journey who supported me and guided me into an art career. Also, looking back was obstructed by the debilitating idea that I have to produce and do better than the previous show, create something bigger and stronger than the last piece, to maintain my relevance. That was an internal battle that was hard to overcome. But a conversation with a close colleague changed my thoughts over this; she said to me, “You only get better by creating; that great piece you’re looking for is just waiting to be created.”.

Interestingly enough, the main reason I write this today is because I know someone out there has undergone or is going through what I have gone through. I firmly believe that people have different roles in their lives and that such roles are ultimately intertwined to compose what constitutes oneself. For example, I am an artist, a son, a brother, a cousin, a friend, a parent, and so on. Life's events don’t stop just because you are an artist. Finding that nick back in my creative groove, proved to be more complex than I ever thought it would be. Event after event, I kept falling away from my studio, making things a lot worse. Part of me kept craving the creative side, but both my mental and physical health were not allowing my body to get up and do it.

It was in December 2017, after many life-changing events, that I started working on my drafting table in my living room with some small pieces to ease myself slowly back into the studio, I call this series Back to Basics. The idea came to me one day after an introduction to drawing class I was conducting. I started making a series of small drawings with basic drawing skills and materials such as colored pencils, water colors, ink, and charcoal. I started with two and, since then, have created many more that are still in process (more images to come). I reopened my studio space in 2020, in the midst of a pandemic. I am back to producing and hopefully finishing the Sin series someday soon. Today I feel more energized at 48 than I felt when I was in my late 20s.
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One thing I have learned through all of this is that I had to live through all that has happened. I learned how quickly time goes by and how life impacts your creative self. Now I have ammunition and a larger vocabulary that can only make my work and me as a person more mature and relevant. So to all my artist friends out there, life will bring you surprises, but take care of yourself and those around you. Keep your brain stimulated. Everyone has a low time, some longer than others. But ultimately, you will come back stronger and energized with a rejuvenated muse. I must say, to all who stayed with me and those that came along for the ride, thank you for not giving up on me.
 
Antonio Fonseca
Southbridge, MA

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Antonio Fonseca,Marketa Revisited, pencil water color on paper, 13 3/4" x 30", 2018