Cuban Sandwich Show, Part III: Essence of Ybor

"Essence of Ybor" was a juried art show presented on Saturday, June 4th, by the Ybor Art Association in Ybor Square, the space was made possible via the courtesy of The Church of Scientology.
Many artists showed, including Dominique Martinez, Marc De Waele, Rick Reeves, Paul Tabio, John Canning, Jason Shiver, Samantha Churchill, Donna Morrison, Greg Latch, Ray Paul, Bruce Ferguson, Terry Klaaren, Tatyana Igumnova Hankinson, Susan O'Hara, Nancy Baier, Melody Swindle, Bob Pomeroy, Clyde McLaughlin, Antony Capers, David Edmund, John Costin, Roberta Scholfield, Willie Emerson, Kellie Schultz, Paula Brett, Steven Palladino (who live-painted) and others.  YAA site can be accessed here: [Link]

Jason Shiver, "Las Cruces"

Jason Shiver's painting, "Las Cruces", reflects his interest in shipbuilding and the American Worker. The colors here are pungent, the perspective makes the workers in the foreground seem of giant stature. Jason's studio is in the Ybor Art Colony 1521 1/2 E 7th Avenue. Another theme which this artist continues to explore is that of nature.

Jason Shiver, "Low Country"

 In "Low Country", we see a bird fishing in the shallows. Note the way the highlights in the water were handled, in an almost pointillistic manner. [Link], [Link]

Tatyana Hankinson, "Kojak's Place"

 Tatyana Hankinson's paintings are painterly, by which I mean they do not look like filled-in drawings, but are at ease with the process. She paints local landmarks and storefronts beautifully.

[Link]

 Greg Latch is also an Ybor Art Colony artist. His art is, as he says, surreal, abstract and postmodern, and looks very colorful, graphic and busy to the point of horrovacuity.  A very distinct style.
[Link]

A new Ybor Arts Colonist, Stephen Palladino is seen here live painting a view of the Essence of Ybor Art Show.  His style is very graphic, reminiscent of street art, and at times, noir. [Link]

Bruce Ferguson, "Group Meeting"

Bruce Ferguson paints the boundary between water and land, mostly mangrove-lined shorelines and estuaries in a somewhat romanticized, gentle manner.

Samantha Churchill, "Frank"

I had the pleasure of talking for some time with the sculptor Samantha Churchill, whose work is on the right. She recycles aluminum wiring from major construction sites which would be discarded as waste into her art. These works, variants which I have seen at other venues,  have no inner skeletons to hold them up, they're all wound wire.

Melody Swindle, "The King"

On the left is another work by Ms. Churchill, this one incorporates a theme that she often explores in her painting, El Dia de Los Muertos (Day of the Dead). Here a multimedia DOTD figure looks at itself like Narcissus, through blank eyes. Its face can only be seen as a reflection. See more of her work here [Link].



Below right is Melody Swindle's "The King", decked out in velvet, sporting a golden halo with Elvis-Angels fluttering overhead and much more.[Link]

Nancy Baier, "Snow Falls"

On the left is "Snow Falls" by Nancy Baier. A combination of text (poetry) and painted forms. Nancy is a Wisconsin transplant to the area, and apparently remembers her memories of snow
vividly.  Caution, possibly NSFW [Link]

Nicholae, "Christ will come again"

On the right is Nicholae, with his painting, "Christ Shall Rise again", a complex allegory about the dangers of cloning, bellicosity in the Middle East, and more. [Link]





On the left, Cheetah Chad Ruis, who paints the things he loves, like an ideal wave to surf. [Link]

Last, but far from least, I ran into these three characters, who called themselves "The Three D's"....


Congratulations to all the artists in the show, to the Ybor Artists Association, to Moira Shiver, Samantha Churchill, Ybor Art Colony, David Audet, HCC Ybor, and the Church of Scientology for a beautiful show and a great afternoon.


--- Luis