Clayton de Freitas
The artist Clayton de Freitas, born in Trinidad ....growing up in the city of Port of Spain, among beautiful old homes known as ginger bread houses .Clayton is a lover of the arts from small, he has lived in the Netherlands Antilles on the islands of St. Marten and St. Eustatius, and the story book island wonder, of the Antilles that being Saba, this was his home for many years where he was very involved in many activities on the island. Teaching full time at the primary level he was the subject teacher for creative writing .He developed a social studies program for primary schools in the Antilles, Clayton also taught art to the entire primary school from the grade one level to the 6th grade level.
Clayton returned to Trinidad ,.... where he continued his social work with drug rehabilitation programmes and 12 step groups he facilitates, as well as his art, exhibiting several times with other artist in various events here in Trinidad , he has also exhibited in a group forum in the Antilles ,the water colourist is known for his old homes and nature scenes
He also had over the years several solo shows , his work has sold throughout the islands , and is in some of the very best collections in Montreal , Toronto , England ,Egypt , Holland and the Netherlands Antilles , Barbados and the list goes on .
He has painted from very large panels to miniatures, over the years he has stayed faithful to the medium of watercolour, while many other watercolourists..... have abandoned this form of art here in Trinidad and Tobago.
The artist has been involved with the curator ship of some art shows in Trinidad.
His love is teaching art, and Clayton has been teaching art to prisoners.....for some years now, he has an art class every week within one of the main prisons in Trinidad, and is in great demand regarding the teaching of art.
His handicap however highlights the fact that the work he produces is amazing...... as he sees through one eye and the other is blind he uses no glasses to paint all his work , this is the only way he can paint , the eye he uses to paint has very poor vision within it .
artist statement ........always see the beauty that surrounds you.....its there for us all to capture, in a look a glance and even on paper, or canvas --
Sherlann Peters
This young lady is a self taught artist, whose commissioned work has appeared in the Trinidad and Tobago Postal Corporation's stamp issue, for the International Year Commemorating the Struggle against Slavery and its Abolition.
She has designed and produced the statuette used by Gayelle TV for their Annual Independence Award Show, and has been Awarded by NYAC at their Top 20 Stars Of Tomorrow Awards for excellence and outstanding achievements in visual arts. She has produced work with Trinidad Art Society, The Power Generation Company of Trinidad and Tobago and The National Carnival Commission to name a few. Sherlann is the winner of the Women In Art Exhibition for 2010.
SHERLANN PETERS - ARTIST STATEMENT
Clay is the key to my core – my secret universe – where I articulate my world…. for the world through my eyes is made of clay.
My creations draw from social and cultural issues, the Caribbean folklore and ways of being that have been part of my childhood dreamscape.
Playing in dirt as a child started it. From the beginning the process of transforming soil into dolls, tea sets and teddy bears - struck me as magical. And, over the years, that magical process has overtaken me, leading me from hobby to art.
Clay sculpting fills me with a sense of accomplishment and integrity, and has proven a most articulate vehicle for translating my inner vision to outer reality. I sculpt from the inside out.
My inspirations come from the stories the old folks told or a chance conversation overheard that resonates with my being – so that my art often has a sense of nostalgia.
It’s important that the world of my grandparents and parents be available to my children who are being raised in a culture of gun violence, computer games and factory-made toys that make no demands on their imagination.
There is power in clay. Though often seen as a fragile material, in reality some of the oldest existing buildings on the planet are made from it, some dating back more than nine thousand years: the Great Wall of China, the Bam citadel in Iran, giant temple complexes in Peru, the Grand Mosque in Timbuktu, the world's oldest skyscrapers in Yemen and the beautiful Native American architecture of Santa Fe, New Mexico.
Clay, dirt, the earth – when I hold it in my hand, I know that generations of African Slaves and indentured labourers stood in this soil and formed a way of being that was distinctly Caribbean. In this clay stood Toussaint, Dessalines, Cesaire, Fanon, CLR James...
This magical material inspires me to be magical too.
Ian Rouse
Ian Joseph Rouse is a 43 year old self taught artist. Ian first bought a book on Pyrography (wood burning) and ventured into this as a hobby 15 years ago. Ian is a father of a teenage daughter and 2 young sons, he finds himself enjoying his pyrography as a form of his natural artistic ability. His unique art has brilliantly recreated everything from portraits and pets, to religious icons, boats, cars, houses and nature. Ian's pieces are now all over the globe from as far away as Dubai, Australia, Canada and USA to throughout Trinidad. Ian remains truly grateful to his family for all their support and encouragement in pursuing his passion.
