Short Bio
“When I paint, I get inspired by the places I have been and their people with diverse identities and cultures- but most of all I am inspired by our shared humanity.” Graciela Placak, a Bay Area artist, was born in Madrid, Spain ande was influenced by her large family of artists. She has been painting since childhood. After studying Architecture and Fine Arts, she immigrated to Northern California in 1983. Since arriving here, her work has been featured in numerous one-woman shows and she has been commissioned to make specialized pieces including murals, mosaics, stained glass, and portraits for both commercial and private clients. She is best known for her vibrant use of color and her realistic portrayals of many of Northern California’s most scenic locations. Contact her at Graciela.placak@gmail.com
Statement
Year 2023 Artist’s Statement
It seems rather cliché to still be talking about “the pandemic” when it is hopefully behind us. But both personally, and professionally, it feels like the dark night of my soul has morphed into a bright light of possibility. I felt an incredible urgency to bring this transference of negative to positive energy into my painting. I desperately wanted to work with color, brightness, translucence, opulence, movement, strength. I felt an incredible urge to empower menkind to once again believe in themselves in the beauty of their hopes, their dreams, their vision, their ambitions, their magic, their light. In myself I found a new strength empowered by no longer the fear of the unknown, but by the actual acceptance of it. I hope my new works inspire viewers to find in themselves a new beacon of transformation.
Biography
Graciela Placak is best known for Painting with colorful, fine, almost see through strokes, beautiful, powerful, Portraits, Still life and figurative art pieces. Her Landscapes and seascapes, depicts a region’s soul!
Her attention to detail mesmerizes the eye of the viewer, taking you on a trip to a place where we all want to be, or visit.
“I want to keep the memories of what was seen during the 2000s, not only on a photograph, but painted on a canvas, for an illustrated collector’s book “Postcards of America”.
Graciela was borne in Spain, while her Colombian Parents were studying abroad.
Raised in Colombia, South America, where she studied Architecture and Fine Arts at the University of Saint Thomas. She was influenced by a large family of artists and has been painting since childhood.
-1983, Graciela moved to Florida, where she started her campaign, “Mural for waiting rooms” Cheering up several hospital’s children and labor and delivery waiting rooms.
Since then, has been commissioned to do specialized pieces like
Mosaics, stained glass, wine Labels, portraits, and more murals for, schools, commercial and residential clients.
She has created all the designs for the RCP Tiburon Mile, and some for the Olympic Club Mile, Trans Tahoe, and Alcatraz Swims.
Her greatest work is her own home in Tiburon, where one can appreciate a large range of artistic details from her Hispanic influences.
She is the exclusive Artist for the Winery Dawn’s Dream in the heart of Carmel, California, where her work is now exhibited. One of her Murals is used as a backdrop for an interactive souvenir where visitors can photograph themselves at the winery.
Today, after 40 years of experience, painting for clients and art shows, she is teaching all her techniques in oil and acrylic art class on a step by step, Oil Art and Acrylic Art Classes. She has an Art Column in the Belvedere/Tiburon monthly magazine.
You can visit her Art studio in Tiburon California.
Resume / CV
- 1980 College degree in Architecture and Fine Arts. University of Saint Thomas. Colombia
Professional Experience
- 2015 to date. Art instructor/teacher at The Ranch. Tiburon. California.
- 2017-2023 Columnist. Art Corner. Belvedere/Tiburon Monthly Magazine.
- 1980 to Date. Numerous Commissions for Murals, and private Collections.
Florida, New York, and California.
Exhibitions
___________________________________________________________________
-2011, Indigo, in Tiburon, CA, Oil Paintings collection of Marin County and California.
-2011, Tiburon Town Hall, Art Show featuring her figurative and landscape work of Carmel and Monterrey Wine Country.
-2012, Art Show at the Tiburon Library, Seascapes of San Francisco Bay Area.
-2013, Colorado, Art Show, Collection of Oil Paintings of the “Beautiful Telluride”, Colorado.
-2013, Participated at the Union Street Art Festival, where she showcased her Collection “Tribute to The Americas Cup “.
-She was asked to create the Poster for the 2013 Red Bull Youth team USA45 Racing.
-2014, Art Show at the Tiburon Library. Collection of the California Wine Country, focusing on realistic paintings of favorite hangouts, landscapes, and landmarks.
-2018. Colombian Consulate solo art show.
-2022 Art show at Jason’s Gallery. Larkspur. California.
-From 2015 to Date, Art Classes at “the Ranch “Tiburon, Ca.
-On going at Dawns Dream Winery and Galante Tasting Rooms.
- 1980 College degree in Architecture and Fine Arts. University of Saint Thomas. Colombia
Professional Experience
___________________________________________________________________
- 2015 to date. Art instructor/teacher at The Ranch. Tiburon. California.
- 1980 to Date. Numerous Commissions for Murals, and private Collections.
Florida, New York, and California.
Exhibitions
___________________________________________________________________
-2011, Indigo, in Tiburon, CA, Oil Paintings collection of Marin County and California.
-2011, Tiburon Town Hall, Art Show featuring her figurative and landscape work of Carmel and Monterrey Wine Country.
-2012, Art Show at the Tiburon Library, Seascapes of San Francisco Bay Area.
-2013, Colorado, Art Show, Collection of Oil Paintings of the “Beautiful Telluride”, Colorado.
-2013, Participated at the Union Street Art Festival, where she showcased her Collection “Tribute to The Americas Cup “.
-She was asked to create the Poster for the 2013 Red Bull Youth team USA45 Racing.
-2014, Art Show at the Tiburon Library. Collection of the California Wine Country, focusing on realistic paintings of favorite hangouts, landscapes, and landmarks.
-2018. Colombian Consulate solo art show.
-2022 Art show at Jason’s Gallery. Larkspur. California.
-From 2015 to Date, Art Classes at “the Ranch “Tiburon, Ca.
-On going at Dawns Dream Winery and Galante Tasting Rooms.
My Techniques
I tend to think that I’m a chameleon when I paint, because as an art instructor I teach many different styles and techniques to my students. But these paintings reflect my own personal style and technique based on a blueprint of my own feelings. By experimenting with metallic shades of color I was able to develop a new style and express a 3-D translucency to communicate feminine strength and power as a magical moment in the space of time. By painting in a depth of layer upon layer of diluted washes of bright colors, the paintings trick the viewer’s eye into thinking that they are painted in oils, not acrylics.
My goal with each painting in this series was to invite the viewer to come on a journey of discovery and well-being and experience feelings of hope, joy, love and wonder. To achieve this ethereal effect, I started out by priming the canvas with gesso and stucco with a palette knife to create forms, shape, and texture to convey a sense of dimension in time. I used circular movements of vibrant, bright, shimmering acrylic color in a palette from dark to light tones. I then repeated this process, alternating between layers of metallics and acrylics. If the subject of my painting had a face, I used Yupo paper to convey the smoothness and softness of their skin, painted in a wash of timeless skin tones. I then would use a varnish to protect the skin tone and continue painting the background, again with layer upon layer...of acrylic paints. The faces were painted with fine, round brushes and the background was painted with large brushes and rags and paper towels. A semi-gloss gel varnish was used to protect the paintings.
