Symone Martinez
Symone Martinez is a self-taught illustrator based in San Antonio, Texas. She is a wife and mother of 2 kids. Martinez is known for her graphic Topo Chico illustrations, and her larger bodies of work such as her 99 Red Marinas showcased at Luminaria 2021, or her mandala series. You can find her artwork in shops and galleries around San Antonio.
Be sure to follow: @symonemartinezart
Oskar Petersen
Oskar Petersen was born and currently resides in Albuquerque, New Mexico. Guitar player and singer of Albuquerque local band Crime Lab. His childhood dream was to pursue fashion. A lover of the Minnesota Vikings. His middle name is Aage. The painting aim to highlight the comedy of the conversation between the universe. Unsuspecting objects become main characters. Using frequency to highlight a psychedelic optimism. The paintings show a life in the southwest and the influence of the sky.
Be sure to follow @stallionwilson
Oscar Garcia
Oscar Garcia uses the language of color, form, and gesture to create his art which helps him escape the daily grind of our fast-paced world.
Garcia considers himself self-taught. Despite little formal art training, his voracious reading habits and strong work ethic have given him the tools over the years to pursue his artistic vision. Garcia is adverse to being limited to any painting style. Since COVID had him in lockdown last year, Garcia decided to retire and devote his time to his art career. Garcia has a large varied inventory, from abstract to figurative to collage. Garcia's strong work ethic and prolific artistic skills, have allowed him to create this body of work- a conversation of two styles coming together as one.
Be sure to follow @artbyoscargarcia
“Head Trips”
Acrylic on canvas
24in x 30in
Jonathan Shepherd
I’m Jonathan Shepherd and I’m an artist based out of San Antonio, TX. I am married to the most amazing woman and we have 3 amazing kids! In 2020 we decided to start a gallery and coffeehouse called Pharos. We want to help people lift their eyes out of the mess of what life can bring, and see hope. My prayer is that with art and coffee, we can do just that!
Be sure to follow @jshep.art
“Lift Your Eyes No.6”
Mixed media on canvas,
36in x 36in
“I lift up my eyes to the hills. From where does my help come? My help comes from the Lord, who made heaven and earth.”
Psalm 121:1-2
There’s a lot of fear that is coming with the decision that’s going to be made tomorrow here in the US. So much uncertainty for the years ahead. But as a believer in Jesus I know that my help doesn’t come from a person. My help comes from the One who made heaven and earth. The one who has the power and authority to speak things into existence. The one who sets authority in place.
Jesus is my hope and where my help comes from. He is the one I put my trust for the future in.
Jesus Loves You! Lift Your Eyes!
“When I Was A Kid, I Was Scared of Storms”
Mixed media on canvas,
36in x 36in
It’s true and it has passed down to my kids. The are fairly scared of thunder and lighting and I completely understand why. I would see those clouds rolling in and my stomach would hurt, my eyes would begin to well up and as soon as it started I wouldn’t leave my parents side.
Then I read this “And when he got into the boat, his disciples followed him. And behold, there arose a great storm on the sea, so that the boat was being swamped by the waves; but he was asleep. And they went and woke him, saying, “Save us, Lord; we are perishing.” And he said to them, “Why are you afraid, O you of little faith?” Then he rose and rebuked the winds and the sea, and there was a great calm. And the men marveled, saying, “What sort of man is this, that even winds and sea obey him?”
Matthew 8:23-27
JESUS SILENCES STORMS!
Any storm. Your storms, my storms, and yes, even naturally occurring ones. He is in control of it all. And He loves you!
Albert Gonzales
Albert Gonzales is a post-contemporary artist based in San Antonio, TX. He is heavily influenced by post- WWII artists like Jackson Pollock, Keith Haring and Jean-Michel Basquiat, but also draws inspiration from the masters like Henri Matisse and Van Gogh. With this broad range of inspirations, Gonzales’s fine art approaches are visual experiments within composition, style, and technique. From abstraction to still life to portraits, his art can span multiple genres. With bold color palettes, his often “outrageous” paintings are fun and unpredictable. As a great commentator on his own art style, his showmanship brings forth the passion for his art and his need to create. His audience is able to see and feel his dearest dedication to craft. With his paintings, he hopes to reflect a feeling of liveliness and compassion for the love he has for the visual arts. Gonzales wants the audience to feel this feeling if only for a second; but touched and moved for a lifetime.
Albert Gonzales’s accolades include the “Step Inside My Mind” solo exhibition; “Voz” group exhibition at the Centro De Artes with UTSA; Featured artist in Coca-Cola March Madness Music Festival; artist participant in a city- wide art project for a non-profit organization titled, Clarity in the Pin Wheels for Change campaign where he painted alongside 16 other internationally and nationally renowned artists; Featured artist “Luminaria” 2019 art festival. Having sold over a hundred paintings in one year, Gonzales’s list of prominent collectors and collections include the acquisition of seven paintings into the UTSA Art Collection by the invitation of Dr. Ricardo Romo. Gonzales has also donated artwork to the UTSA Alumni Gala and the Susan G. Komen Foundation. Best known for his simplistically minimal abstract flower paintings, Gonzales gives voice to the new and upcoming generation of artists of San Antonio.
Be sure to follow @trebla_art
“Wabi Sabi”
9in x 12in Wood cut Print
Wabi Sabi, a Japanese philosophy which can be translated to the idea of embracing the beauty of the imperfect, or in simple terms, perfectly imperfect. Through my art, I translate that philosophy by abstracting the flowers I paint. I create these non-anatomically correct flowers to stand as a symbol meaning we are the flower. We all have our own imperfections or insecurities. Throughout this series, I like to use bold colors to encourage the viewer to look past the abstract and imperfect. Water is a universal symbol of life throughout many cultures. In this series, I use water to tell a story of life by keeping the water in the vase in a constant fluid motion even though the vase is on a flat plane. We all have our up and downs in life. Personally, I like to say that sometimes we just have to go with the flow, but most of all, just as the water helps the flower grow and bloom, we need to embrace our life experiences – the good and the bad – and let them help us grow into the people we want to be.
“Wabi Sabi #565”
36in Tondo Painting on canvas
Wabi Sabi, a Japanese philosophy which can be translated to the idea of embracing the beauty of the imperfect, or in simple terms, perfectly imperfect. Through my art, I translate that philosophy by abstracting the flowers I paint. I create these non-anatomically correct flowers to stand as a symbol meaning we are the flower. We all have our own imperfections or insecurities. Throughout this series, I like to use bold colors to encourage the viewer to look past the abstract and imperfect. Water is a universal symbol of life throughout many cultures. In this series, I use water to tell a story of life by keeping the water in the vase in a constant fluid motion even though the vase is on a flat plane. We all have our up and downs in life. Personally, I like to say that sometimes we just have to go with the flow, but most of all, just as the water helps the flower grow and bloom, we need to embrace our life experiences – the good and the bad – and let them help us grow into the people we want to be.
Caroline Gonzales
Caroline Gonzales is a multiple disciplinary artist, born and raised in San Antonio, Texas. She is currently focused on abstract paintings, and is well known for her use of color and textures. Gonzales graduated with her BFA in Studio Art from Texas A&M University- Kingsville (2015). Early 2016, she obtained her first studio space at The Hausmann Millworks, where she found much growth in her art career with studio tours, and trips to NYC(2016 & 2019), where she ended up being a part of a group exhibition at The All Things Project off of Bleecker St. Gonzales co-owns Southtown Art Gallery with her husband (2018-present). They recently transformed the gallery into a studio/gallery space, and last year made the gallery space outdoors due to the virus. In the summer of 2020, they started The Art Lottery, giving artists a new platform to sell their work, and new and existing collectors a chance at collecting artwork in a new way. Gonzales became a mother in 2019 and has since found a new balance within her creative work.
Be sure to follow @carolinegonzalesart
“White Floral Series”
Caroline Gonzales began her white floral series after creating a white floral painting for her mother in 2016. When she was creating the first one, she focused on everything being representional: the background representing the emotion that the world holds on ones being at any given time, and the white flowers representing the soul of someone, the purity of what love can portray, and the transparency that holds our spiritual compasities at a stronger leveled connection than what the world tries to lay down on ones mental being. The White Floral Series paintings have represented much to her collectors in different ways: remembering a loved one, regaining strength during mental or physical battles, and even reflections onto ones self of what they hope to be or whom they have become. I only hope that you have found a connection to this series, as I have, and many others.