a stroke of genius
JAVIER MAYORAL’S PAINTINGS
ARE A LITTLE BIT OFF THE WALL.I’ve been painting since I was a three-year-old in Spain, but started
making a living with my art in 2012. I’ve never been an especially
arty type, though. These days, I use acrylic paint on wood panels
of approximately eight-by-nine inches in size. I have created and
catalogued over 8500 small-format pieces so far. I like some more
than others for a range of different reasons, but with so many in
my portfolio, I don’t really have a favourite.When it comes to my creative process, first I gather ideas, then
I examine them by looking at them from different angles, trying to
make new connections between them. After that, I step away from
the work for a while, then finally come back to shape and develop
the concept. Going to the beach every morning helps put me in the
mood to create, as does thinking about my day ahead; having a
cup of coffee; playing some music; and sitting down in my studio
in front of my drafting table. My studio is a room in my house in
Miami, Florida, and also contains a big window; a flat file with
six drawers where I keep my references; a shelf for supplies;
and a smaller desk and chair.For me, making art is the best way to tell the stories I want to
tell. I don’t deliberately try to incorporate humour into my work,
but I’ve been told it comes across that way. I admire artists like
Max Ernst, Robert Crumb, Francis Picabia, Wassily Kandinsky,
Man Ray and Juan Gris, but the majority of my inspiration comes
from my family, friends, dreams, Google, commissions, movies,
and the people I know or imagine. When I’m not busy making
art, I go to the beach, do grocery shopping and – whenever
I can – travel. I’m also a trained chef.If you should know one thing about me, it’s this: I snore when
I sleep. But aside from that, I’m surrounded by people who
love me; and am lucky to be doing just what I want to do.creative people