ARTIST SPOTLIGHT - Aida Gonzalez Fry - by Florida Fine Art Blog

Aida Gonzalez Fry is having a opening this weekend at Mary Woerner’s Fine Art in West Palm Beach.  Mary is a great gallerist with an amazing stable of artists.  Some of my favorite Florida painters are shown here and the work selected is always desirable.  Some artists of note are René Guerin, Mary Segal, Caesar Cirigliano and Jussi Pöyhönen.

Please go see this show!  Aida will be showing new work with another talented artist, Roberta Marks.

AIDA GONZALEZ FRY & ROBERTA B. MARKS
April 7th through May 4th, 2012
Opening Reception: Saturday, April 7th from 6 to 8 pm

Mary Woerner Fine Art

3700 South Dixie Highway, West Palm Beach, FL 33405

Mary Woerner Fine Art Website
Roberta Marks Website

MUCH MORE AFTER THE BREAK

Aida Gonzalez Fry was born in Miami and maintains a studio in Stuart, Florida where she works in oil, watercolor and fresco.  Her work expresses the joy of spontaneous discovery while still conveying her deep respect for the great traditions of figure painting.  Her paintings offer insight into the sensual and spiritual duality of life.  The viewer is drawn in by the lyrical surface delights of these paintings into a world of fantasy, allegory and symbolism.

 Aida spent years studying with Caesar Cirigliano (himself a student of George Grosz and John Sloan of the Ashcan School.)  She graduated from the University of Florida with a Bachelor of Art in Design where she studied under Jack Nicholson, Hiram Williams and Lenny Kesl. 

Through workshops, demonstrations and artists in residence programs, Aida has had a real impact on her community and on some of the up and coming artists of Florida.  Aida has completed many public works and her artwork is part of numerous important Florida Museum, corporate and private collections.

Known as a master of color Aida has taken her skills and branched out into architecture with her company AidaColor.  As a colorist, Aida has been instrumental in choosing the palette for many of the large condo, office and shopping projects we see built over the last twenty years across Martin, Palm Beach, Broward and Dade Counties.  

Roger Fry & Associates Architects

In my opinion Aida’s choice of natural tones have saved many of the buildings from themselves.  When she has the opportunity to work from the beginning on a project, like she has with Miami architect Roger Fry and builder Jorge Perez, the results are spectacular. 

 Roger Fry & Associates Architects

Aida’s choice of earth tones and bright crisp highlights have a modern Mediterranean feel that seem to fit perfectly in South Florida.  Her color choices help the buildings stand out yet still fit in with their surroundings. 

Roger Fry & Associates Architects

Aida was one of the first artists I chose to represent, and I always felt her work lifted the level of the whole gallery.  In fact Aida helped pick out the colors of both of my galleries, therefore she was always part of my success.  She is very professional and her work reflects that.  What can I say, I love her and her work!

 I recently had the opportunity to pose a few questions to Aida;

Q: What/who are your major influences?
A: Caesar Cirigliano, Hiram Williams, Degas, Bonnard, Villard, Maricio Lazansky, Velasquez, Sorolla, Diebenkorn.

Q: Where do you shop for art supplies?
A: Cheap Joes, Jerry’s Artarama & Kremer pigment, NYC

Q: What time of the day do you paint? 
A: Mostly afternoon

Q: Do you go to Museums?
A: When I travel they are a home away from home.

Q: What’s the name of your favorite local gallery?
A: Mary Woerner’s Fine Art

Q: What makes a good day in the studio?
A: When a little spill works to my advantage.

 

Q: How many hours a week do you spend in the studio?
A: It’s variable.

Q: What music do you listen to when painting?
A: Jukebox 1963-1968, Is it Rolling Bob (Reggae versions of Bob Dylan Songs.)

Q: Three things you couldn’t be without while your painting?
A: Light, a rag, and Caesar’s benediction.

Q: What was your earliest artistic training?
A: Advertising art class with Joseph Rosenbaum at Miami Central High…or was it Mr Caterino’s Art class at Madison Jr High…or was it Mr. Flanagan’s art books in sixth grade or was it the stacks of paper my father brought home for me before I went to school?

Q: Where and when was your first show?
A: A House on Biscayne Blvd where the Omni now stands in Miami Circa 1959. I showed my hibiscus drawing, attended in my Brownie uniform.

 

Q: Do you miss any paintings that have sold?
A: No but it’s always fun to encounter them again. 

Q: Advice for emerging artists?
A: Go where your heart leads. It’s the invention that’s satisfying and the people on the way… Try not to be too competitive.

Q: What are you working on next?
A: Frescos and Paintings for an April show with Roberta Marks at Mary Woerner fine arts in West Palm Beach.

 

Q: What did you think you were going to be when you grew up?
A: An Artist … I did have a strong interest in architecture and travel also.

Q: What’s your favorite color?
A: The color at the bottom of the turps when everything mixes together. That sets off any color because it contains them all… and most greens.

Q: Do you collect other artists, what’s your favorite piece?
A: Among my most cherished is a painting of a cooked ham by Sean Sexton rendered in colored ballpoint pens. There exists an uncooked version as well.

Q: Favorite artist?
A: Flip a franc:  Pierre Bonnard or Edgar Degas

Q: If you could have one painting in the world, you could rip it right off the wall of a museum and take it home with you, which painting would you chose?   
A: My Teacher Caesar Cirigliano taught me to steal from the Museums in a different way. “Just look at ears one day” he would advise… or “just look at noses or the unfinished corners” Isolating so as not to be overwhelmed by the whole work. I am quite satisfied with this sort of pilfering.

 Roger Fry & Associates Architects