Arte Divino Studio is the artistic outlet for the diverse works of Mauricio Arcesio. Mauricio is a
Colombian-born American with deep passions for the creative arts. He pledges a life-long commitment to
communicate the endless possibilities of Love and Joy to the world through his artistic endeavors. He
works in a myriad of mediums such as charcoals, pastels, oils, acrylics and pencil on surfaces just as diverse.
These works appear on veneers, hand-textured and etched gatorboards, specialty papers such as kozo
papers and Japanese tree bark, papyrus and other textured materials.
In addition, he sculpts in pure Belgian white and dark chocolate blocks of various sizes. His
chocolate sculptures took him to the White House at the request of First Lady and Senator Hillary
Rodham Clinton.
"My Artwork reflects the wonderful experience that life itself represents and of my life in Santa
Barbara, California, a major source of inspiration. God and Life itself have given me the gift and
opportunity to express joy, love, awareness and the abundance of light and color through my
Artwork. What most people call talent, is not so in my case; for me, it is about the energy and creative
passion that I feel within and without, which in turn inspires me to develop as a better human being
and a more worthy recipient of my calling and place on this wonderful planet."
"Art and all creative manifestations guide and turn me into
an Earthly Instrument using Light, Joy and Love to rejoice in
the world that we live in and to marvel at the amazing journey
of which we are a part. Life is indeed a canvas filled with endless
possibilities and infinite abundance! Welcome and thank you for
visiting!" ~ Mauricio
A native of Columbia, South America (Cali es Cali, lo demas es
loma!!), Mauricio is a self-taught Artist who has been drawing
and sketching the human figure since he was attending elementary
school in his native "Valle del Cauca," located in the
Southwest portion of Columbia.
Determined and committed to fully explore the edification of
the human animal and to visually inquire, through the creative
process while simultaneously celebrating the beauty and the spectacular
design evident in the human body, Mauricio continuously creates
beautiful master drawings in charcoals, graphite and ink. His
images and compositions attempt to reveal and decipher the breath-taking
alchemy - shaped by light, space and movement - that is exquisitely
created in the ever-present fusion of "mana" (or the
inner, divine force flowing in and out of the Universe) and the
forceful-but-finite, tangible, fragile and ever-graceful presence
of the human element as it manifests in our bodies.
Rather than pursue a degree in Fine Arts in the tradition sense,
Mauricio has gradually accumulated a life-ling series of experiences
that allow him to relentlessly explore and attain a self-designed,
self-guided education in both life and art. To this end, his approach
to creating a career as an Artist emphasizes imagination, the
importance of maintaining an ongoing child-like curiosity, a commitment
and a thirst for everything that involves Art, and the creative
process and its endless manifestations. His inner, personal journey
is very much in-the-making, mostly filled with discovery, amazement,
awareness, Love, reverence, potentiality and appreciation of the
gift of life bestowed upon us.
His travels throughout North, Central and South America as well
as Europe have given him the opportunity to study painting, drawing,
etching and engraving, and to experiment as an apprentice under
the guidance and direction of Master Artists from around the world
who are actively exploring and creating Art. Through workshops,
ateliers, classes, seminars, salons, exhibits, competitions, art
festivals, etc., and from direct observation of his favorite subject
matter, Mauricio continues to evolve as an Artist and to mature
into a more wholesome, compassionate human being.
MISSION:
To provoke the imagination
To
inspire a journey of endless discovery
To
foster creativity and artistic journeys within the self
To
manifest the inner self
To celebrate
the awesome concept and spectacular design as manifested in the
shapes and forms of a human body
Mauricio's artistic journey incorporates
the awe-inspiring legacy, talent and creative vision of the renaissance
masters as well as the artistic challenge that inherently lies
ahead for contemporary artists and future generations. Mauricio
recognizes the immense responsibility that art-makers have inherited
in safe-keeping and ensuring the future of artistic expression
and the integrity of the creative seed that needs to be planted
and nurtured in the hearts and souls of our children and young
Artists alike.
By producing and validating their creative
vision and above all, by always recognizing the infinite creative
manifestations that the human species is capable of expressing,
Art and its countless journeys will certainly remain as one of
the most magnificent treasures ever to have been bestowed upon
man throughout history and in the on-going evolutionary saga of
the human animal.
IN THE BEGINNING ~ THE PASTELS
GALLERY NOTES:
These paintings represent a small sample
of my earliest attempts - in my adult life - to express the need
to create and to want to pursue art making with wholehearted commitment
and forceful passion.
Water-based or chalk (soft) pastels are
lots of fun and wonderful to work with, play with, experiment
with. I am always amazed at how colors explode upon being "awakened"
onto various paper and textured surfaces. It impresses me particularly
how colors "behave" and "participate" in the
composition of a painting and I continue to be fascinated by their
vibrancy, their manageability and fullness of tones and hues.
I live in a beautiful community right on
the Pacific Ocean and guarded by majestic, imposing, beautiful
mountains. Every day when I wake up to start my day, I am privileged
to witness gorgeous mountain views and the placid, soothing and
very inspiring Pacific sea. How could I not want to paint? …..,
how could I not want to celebrate and acknowledge mother nature’s
abundance and gifts?
These pastel paintings are a small visual
token of appreciation that I have created which help me to validate
the journey upon which I have embarked as an artist and to also
remember how fragile but spectacularly beautiful our planet is.
