Rafael López's Blog, page 16

Collecting Memories of Sharjah

Last day with amazing students

Surprise Lunch 
Lebanese Bread
Hummus and Lemonade






















Leaving Dubai






















Full Moon at mid-day on the Arctic Circle
Over the Pole and back to Southern California
























































































"A journey is best measured in friends, rather than miles".-Tim Cahill

I've just returned from nine days in the Middle East, invited by Her Excellency Sheikha Bodour al Qasimi of Sharjah. This emirate is considered by UNESCO as the cultural capital of the Arab World. Their cultural policy is one of the most developed in the Arab world for it's support and investment in art and culture. Sharjah is home to 17 museums and the Sharjah Biennale exhibition of contemporary art. I was fortunate to attend the Sharjah World Book Fair and had the great opportunity to work with a dynamic group of young local artists. Together we worked to create a poster for the 2015 Children's Book Fair. This was my second trip to Sharjah and I am so fortunate to have connected with many new and old friends. I'm grateful to the Princess for her kindness and visit to our workshop. She is a true champion of books.

Architectural Delights of the United Arab Emirates

Futuristic Metro Station
Gleaming Skyscrapers of Dubai
Towers in the Desert
Atop the tallest building in the world
Burj Khalifa-163 floors, 2, 722 feet high
Origami Crane Sculpture
Marine inspired Hotel Lobby
Arabesque arches
Mosque Islamic motifs 



































Inside the mosque with Ali & Omar
Vaulted Ceiling


















Mosque at twilight

Sensing what you see

Candy maker in the Souke



Museum of Islamic Heritage



































































What is it about travel that makes you take a journey into yourself? How to keep that spirit with you when you return home. To see, to document your own home with new eyes. To keep a record of things that pull you in. I took my students to different parts of their city and asked them to chronicle the textures and shapes as if they had never seen them before. To observe patterns and focus on the details and edges of interesting elements that we plan to incorporate into their work digitally. Watching them taught me so much. Wanted to bring you along as we walked the old part of Sharjah where fishermen lived and originally built their houses out of coral in the way we would use stones. We journeyed to an old Souke [market] visiting candy makers.  Leaving myself behind I discover new things.

Wander Often-Wonder Always.

Leaving the California coastline behind After 17 hours flying over the North Pole I'm suddenly part of another world. Color and Form Juxtapositions
Amazing Sharjah World Book Fair in Dubai















Getting lost in the rich architecture and geometry





Teaching a workshop to local illustrators


































I'll never get over the sheer magic of getting on an airplane and suddenly
arriving in an exotic place.
The unfamiliarity of it all just ignites your senses in new ways. Tuning into those landscapes, the allure of turning the corner and exploring with your eyes, the textures and sounds of a fountain, of children playing in another language.

Exploring the street art of San Francisco

Spent several amazing days in San Francisco documenting street art.


















This beautiful mural in the Mission District beckoned me to return to the studio. I painted a series of Saint portraits for Loyola University, followed by a personal piece fueled by the textures of the city.


Packing my bags to teach a workshop in Dubai.

Streets of San Francisco

Spent several amazing days in San Francisco documenting street art.


















This beautiful mural in the Mission District beckoned me to return to the studio. I painted a series of Saint portraits for Loyola University, followed by a personal piece fueled by the textures of the city.


Packing my bags to teach a workshop in Dubai.

Pumpkin Carving 2013

Santiago Celebrando el Día de los Muertos

Pumpkin Carving 2013 Jack Skellington by Santiago

Nature Watch

Keep close to nature's heart ...and break clear away, once in awhile, climb a mountain or spend a week in the woods. Wash your spirit clean. -John Muir
I know you haven't heard from me in awhile as I've been spending some much needed time in artistic exile. I've got sketches for two new children's books on my drawing table and boards sanded and ready to paint. I've just completed this poster and web banner for the USDA Nature Watch Program of the United States Forest Service. My artwork was designed to appeal to kids by blending touches of realism with a child's imagination. Now that our parks are again open it seemed the right time to reflect on these national treasures -home to amazing creatures.  Breathtaking places that are an authentic source of pride. In the mid 1800's a group of visionary thinkers believed these treasures could rival the great castles and cathedrals of Europe. One of those idealists was the naturalist John Muir whose poetic voice, like the cry of a falcon reminded us that wild places were essential for the soul.  
He wisely reflected that "The power of imagination makes us infinite".

The King of Mambo arrives on March 5th!

It was serious fun filming this video book trailer for Tito Puente Mambo King/Rey del Mambo at my loft/studio with author Monica Brown. Together we published our very first children's book back in 2004, My Name is Celia/Me Llamo Celia. As you can imagine we put so much passion and effort into it and then we got to actually meet each other at the Pura Belpré honor and Americas Award celebrations. When our initial efforts were recognized it solidified our friendship and launched two new careers in the world of children books.
Reuniting to tell the story of Mambo King Tito Puente has been exciting and in the book trailer we hoped to create a sense of the dance between a writer and artist as the words and images comingle.

I had the great opportunity to create the Latin Music Legend stamp celebrating Tito Puente for the United States Postal Service. During that time I read everything I could find about the godfather of salsa.  I poured over old videos of his exhilarating performances, scanned old photos and immersed myself fully into his music.

Tito Puente Jr. at a stamp release celebration


















That stamp gave me the chance to meet Tito Puente Jr. and our conversations reinforced my notions of his father's electric personality. I learned that Celia Cruz was his godmother. I showed him the illustrations and genuinely appreciated the support of Tito Puente Jr. for this book " Now his name and likeness will reach a brand new group of young fans who will appreciate his genius and talent".

Before he could walk, Tito was making music. He banged spoons and forks on pots and pans, windowsills and cans. He was so loud his neighbors in Spanish Harlem said, "Get that boy some Music lessons!" 
On weekends Tito played magical mambos and beautiful cha-chas with different bands at the Palladium Ballroom 

Sketching Tito
He made music with Celia Cruz, Santana and La Lupe.
The dancers twirled, the lights swirled, and the mambo went on and on...


I'm looking forward to connecting with children about Tito's unforgettable legacy and vibrant music.