Derek Alvarez, "Rodeo Bull and Pink Banana," 36" x 28", Oil, Cardboard, Plaster and Tile on Wood (2005)

I also painted this in 2005. This was all from a dream I had, so I challenge you to figure out the meaning.

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Derek Alvarez, "Sleeping Bird," 22" x 30", Oil, Cardboard and Tile on Canvas Stretched over Wood (2005)

I painted this in 2005. I guess an alternate title could be “Death of a Sparrow.”

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Derek Alvarez, "Easter Trip to Willcox," 36" x 28", Oil, Cardboard, Plaster and Tile on Wood (2005)

I painted this in 2005 after taking a trip to Willcox, Arizona. All the mountains, farms, and desert enchanted me. This was my ode to a lovely day.

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Derek Alvarez, "Remembrance of North Dakota," 22" x 30", Oil and Cardboard on Wood (2005)

I painted this in 2005 in memory of living in North Dakota for a brief period back in High School. Although I didn’t take to the brutal winter, I was able to enjoy the summer, and I especially enjoyed seeing all the fields of corn and sunflowers. The other great thing about that part of the country is that people are so friendly and they seem to be a lot less affected by the rampant consumerism that I had become accustomed to in Southern California.

I might see my time there through “rosy glasses” now looking back… but on the other hand, I might appreciate it more because I’m at a different stage in my life.

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Derek Alvarez, "Portrait of Rembrandt Quiballo," 24" x 20", Oil and Enamel on Canvas (2005)

Rembrandt (yes, that really is his name!) was one of my friends from art school. Perhaps not surprisingly (with a name like that!), he was an artist, too. We would have lots of discussions on art and philosophy and I wanted to reflect the unreality of the dream world with this portrait.

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Derek Alvarez, "Grandpa Beitz Taught Me How to Whistle," 24" x 20", Oil and Cardboard on Wood (2005)

I painted this in 2005 in memory of my Great-grandfather, Leonard Beitz. Him and my great-grandma moved to California from Oklahoma after growing up there. I admire him very much because he was one of the precious few adults I knew who could enjoy the simple things in life… like catching frogs, planting sunflowers, and whistling.

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Derek Alvarez, Swamp People: Troy Landry, 7.5" x 11", Crayola Crayons on paper, 2012

I try not to watch too much TV, but I love Swamp People! Troy Landry and Bruce are my favorites. I love the show because it shows people who are in tune with nature… they get to be out in nature every day and they “live off the land.”

I tell my wife that I missed my true calling… hunting gators in the swamp. Unfortunately, she doesn’t seem to catch the vision like I do ;-)

Buy the Original: $150

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Derek Alvarez, The Sound of Music, 7.5" x 11", Crayola Crayons on paper, 2012

Living in Albania as an American can be pretty comical… In the U.S. I was never looked at as wealthy, but here in Albania I might as well be Daddy Warbucks! And although there have been numerous examples of generosity, there are just as many examples of Albanians trying to rip me off… charging me double, triple, even 4 times what the average Albanian pays for the same thing!

Now, my wife is a pretty positive person, but this kind of stuff can really piss me off… so I’ve been trying to find my “happy place.”

Luckily, I’ve found a service on the Internet that lets you view movies on your computer… so we’ve been watching movies like “Mary Poppins” and “The Sound of Music.” Oddly enough, neither of us had ever seen “The Sound of Music” before, but we loved it!

That was the inspiration for this painting and I thought, “What better way to convey the childlike joy I had watching this movie than to use crayons?”

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Derek Alvarez, Charlie with Tennis Ball on Blue Blanket, 17" x 22", Oil and Acrylic on canvas, 2012

Monique and I have been missing our little Chihuahua/Dachshund mix dog, Charlie Parker (we left him with Monique’s Dad since we moved to Albania)… so I painted this from a photo we took a couple years earlier. I originally planned on an entirely different color scheme, but I liked this one so much that I decided to call it good and I will paint a different version with a different color scheme later. It practically glows at night with a light on it!

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I had already finished my painting of Monique in Red Hat and was starting this tomato painting when our friend Isli came in. Monique showed him both paintings and he waved the tomato painting off and congratulated me on the portrait of Monique. “This portrait is beautiful, but why a tomato painting?” he asked.

Well, I have multiple reasons… To begin with, one of my favorite Picasso paintings is his Tomato Plant. I made my own version of this painting back in 2004.

The other thing is I love tomatoes! I love their color, shape, their reputation as an aphrodisiac… I love the shape of their vine and leaves.

Plus, since we moved into our new digs here in Durres, Albania… our walls are seriously lacking some art. I thought this painting would brighten up our kitchen. (It could brighten up your kitchen, instead, if you’d like to purchase it… I can always paint something else ;)

Buy the Original: $800

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