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MARIA TUMA: Born in Habana, Cuba 1948
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MARIA
TUMA in 1999María Tuma in Instituto Edison Elementary School, Cuba. Monument to my father: Dr. Tomás Tuma San
Antonio de Areco, Buenos Aires, Argentina Beba Gallardo in Rosario, Argentina Me
in Patagonia, Argentina - Perito Moreno Glacier, Bariloche Honoring my cousin César del Campo; Actor of TV and
Cinema
I always wanted to be an artist, but my mother told me: do something else, "all artists starve to death", so I taught art in the public schools for 22 years. In 2004 I began to paint again after many years of depression. As you can see by my list of art shows I painted and exhibited prior to 2004, but because I was a fulltime teacher I could not devote much time to my art. I thought of going to Florence, Italy to learn classical realism at least for a summer workshop. All my prevoius life I wanted to go to France, Italy, Spain, or attend some good art school in the United States, but didn't. My responsibility to be with my mother and certain fears to be away, kept me home. Somewhat late now at age 59, I still struggle to better my painting technique, style and body of work. In May 2005 I discovered an excellent REALIST artist in Miami: Alberto Pancorbo, from whom I have taken some lessons. I really can not afford finantially to be in his art school full time as I desire, so my progress is slow. I also have responsibility to take care of my mother who just turned 97 and being a homemaker limits my time to paint, however some times I stay up untill 3 and 4 AM. painting. Searching, what to paint. A great desire to paint or "illustrate" stories in the Holy Bible, and without live models, is very difficult. That was the complaint Vincent Van Gogh always had: "no live models to paint from". People are my preference, one second of an expression of a person, tells so much... but I also like the landscapes GOD created, the animal kingdom all those things that are full of beauty such as HIS flowers. At times I thought of suicide and painted a self portrait in 1975 as such after being heart broken or misundertood by someone I had erroneously considered a friend. It was displayed at Barry University in 1976 and my teacher Florinda Alzaga asked me: "why that María"? I gently explained part of my sad feeling... later I destroyed with fire many autocricifiction paintings, one that was even displayed at the LOWE MUSEUM at the University of Miami years ago, I also burned some nude studies done at F.I.U. Florida International Univ. an that self portrait in suicide. I stopped painting for about 20 years...I looked at my brushes drying: waiting for me. Naturally I had to buy new brushes since 2005 and all I wish is that I could paint daily without interruptions, and that my paintings be sold, so I can fullfill my dream even late in life. I received today an email answer from a prominent american artist: Daniel Gerhartz, a master artist who encouraged me to paint from life: people, stillives, landscapes...he told me he liked my expressive work or "expressionistic" ones.VISIT HIS SITE. I will continue to learn, express and enjoy every brushstroke, I do not worry much about what galleries want anymore: (all the same look). As my friend Gema Gomez told me: just paint, eventually the style will be visible...I'm getting there...one brushstroke at a time. I used to shy away from painting "religious themes", after all I was fired as teacher for giving Holy Bibles to some 6 of my students, but now, I declare myself as a CHRISTIAN ARTIST or simply and artist who likes what GOD the Creator made for us to enjoy. He is amazing, everyday day He paints the most incredible skies, he does it in 24 hours, what will take me weeks or months to do... I just LOVE the guy!
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