This machine was the Buhl’s Zeiss II projector. It was designed and built in Germany shortly before World War II. The size of this projector was around 12 feet and it was placed on a three or four feet high base platform and weighed around 6000 pounds, including the supports and elevated platform. So to say the least I was captivated by the architecture of the machine and how the different parts resembled the ants eyes, mouth, and legs. This projector was showing a series called, “Tribute To Galileo Galilei“. While the class was focused on the amazing sky show and its effects (which by the way, was the giant ant’s way of distracting people), I was focusing in with great caution on this giant mechanical ant that only had one mission in mind. That mission was to capture me!

The following day, my class was instructed to paint or write about what we saw on our field trip. I decided to paint and paint I did; I focused on my work and painted as true of a picture as I could attain. I put great detail into my work as I painted the giant ant as I remembered it. I was never really sure what my classmates and teacher seen in my artwork; whether it was the projector with the many stars or my ant. That was my very first artwork and it was also the first time I got to see my art work hung on someone’s wall. I have been painting ever since.

Whether it be painting or sketching I continued to find happiness, joy, and contentment through my artwork; but it wasn’t until my late 30′s that I took myself more seriously. Since then I have researched, studied, joined a few local art groups and have continued to develop my own style.
I would say painting with acrylics would be my favorite medium and most challenging. I have worked with oil and watercolor as well and gotten desirable results, but in choosing an all time favorite it would be acrylics. (Even though my new fascination is with digital art and 3-D creations.)Acrylics tend to dry faster than oil paint, with little room for errors or long term decision making. The more paint I have on my palette, the more I will lose if I take my time painting or let it stand in the open long enough to dry. This lack of time and the fact that I love to load up my palette, puts me in a situation where I have to act out on the impulses of spontaneity. It also gives me little or no room to gear away from my current thoughts and emotions to something else. In other words, I have no way out if I decide to change my mind as I go along with any given project. It’s not the same with digital art.
With digital art you don’t have to worry about paint drying up or stretching and priming a canvas. I think the worst that can happen while working on a digital project is having your computer loose all your data. Come to think of it, I think that’s worst than having a loaded palette full of hard dry paint. Being from the old school and digital art being a new school technology, I try my best to create some of my digital art without using any 3-D related software. I find this way of creating my artwork a little more challenging. Of course this approach is not always practical. Why use four strokes of a brush when you can use one and get the same or better results. Again, this is a matter of taste and what it is that you’re trying to create. I some times find it very difficult to resist the temptation to sit behind the wheels of one of the dozens of high tech software that are out there.

If you are interested in purchasing my work or to ask me about them, please contact me at
beltranstudios@gmail.com.

Enjoy the day…Ricardo