Mural Artist | Hospitality Art | Sculptures
The County of Miami Dade has honored our very own artist Amir Shakir with an honorary Certificate of Appreciation for Art Basel exhibition December 1 -15,, 2018. We thank Mayor Jimenez and Commissioner Bravo for the recognition.
A true form of magic exist in Miami unlike any other city. It’s innovative transformation has attracted visitors from all parts of the world to experience it’s captivating beach landscape and its artistic renaissance. One point of interest that has changed the way we experience Miami and its ever changing art scene is The Wynwood Walls. But before we get too ahead of ourselves, first lets talk a little about the history of the Wynwood murals that created the fame for this small neighborhood we call Wynwood.
Wynwood has been dubbed the Art Mecca of the world and with good reason. Within just the course of a few years it transformed itself from a collection of derelict warehouses to one of the top tourist attractions in Miami.. Today, Wynwood houses over 2,000 different murals, graffiti and street art that range over a 9 block radius and want to know the most interesting part of it all is? Wynwood is a revolving door for international artists that continues to change its artistic landscape year after year. And the artists fly in from all parts of the world from France and Berlin to Mexico and Peru. Each artist ranging in artistic style, vision and skill. But who are the ones that started it all? Well the answer is not so simple but lets start with Primary Flight.
In 2007, Primary Flight invited 35 graffiti artists to participate in the first open air art exhibition taking over many walls in the area. In 2008, they expanded to over 80 artists and in 2009 to over 150 artists forever changing the small neighborhood into the art mecca that it is today. However, it was not Primary Flight alone that changed the imaginative landscape of Wynwood. For decades Miami had the reputation of attracting thousands of art collectors, galleries and artists through its world known art fair Art Basel that takes place every year during the first week of December known as Miami Art Week. With many satellite art fairs opening up during Miami Art Week, Miami was attracting art enthusiasts, major brands and big time art collectors ready to spend a week on the sandy beaches while splurging on world class art. It was only natural for a collective of artists and galleries to take part in the action to attract attention to their artworks.
Wynwood became a living organism, cultivating growth within the artist community and more galleries moved into the area hoping to get a slice of the pie. The revitalization was taking place and every creative entity in the world was starting to take notice. One of those creative entities was our own. Formed in 2009, Chrome Art Gallery opened its doors and brought together local artists pushing the art scene into new realms. Live shows, live painting and projected art shows took place over the course of 3 years. Later in 2012, we opened Viophilia as an artistic sanctuary for artists that sought studio space to create and exhibit their latest works. We curated art murals throughout the area and continued in the creative tradition that gave Wynwood its name.
Cue, Tony Goldman. An art enthusiast and real estate developer with enough funds to completely change the face of the small neighborhood into a world class experience. He created outdoor spaces, fusion restaurants and persuaded the city to allow for 20 bar and restaurant permits in the neighborhood. Goldman, along with a few other developers, was originally one of the developers of Soho New York and Ocean Drive in Miami. Tony knew a thing or two about how to develop an area that embraces art and architecture all while merging the need for interactive environments. He created The Wynwood Walls, an outdoor garden space with walls that tower over visitors allowing them to experience art as if they were looking at large art canvases. It is one the the largest curated outdoor exhibitions to date.
Fast forward 10 years and here we are.
Wynwood now attracts top brands like Ducati, Gucci and a plethora of bars and restaurants paying high costs just to be part of the art. The neighborhood that was once a tiny thread in the fabric of Miami became the creative model for many cities across the United States. Its ever changing artistic landscape continues to attract world known artists, art enthusiasts and collectors forever changing the way we experience art. Wynwood must be the only place in the world that can offer an interchangeable outdoor exhibit that showcases the best talent while allowing visitors to partake in in a truly unique outdoor experience that is the Wynwood Walls.
We embraced the evolution of the neighborhood, its adaptive nature that give the momentum to creativity in all forms and in return we got truly unique outdoor museum that pushed the bounds of creativity leaving all those who experience it forever changed.
Copyright: Ivette Cabrera 2017
Photo: Courtesy of WynwoodMiami.com
We spend a lot of time preparing for all of our murals . Each project is very unique with its own characteristics, parameters and style. While its very hard to rate our best ones since we love all of them, here’s our top murals that really pushed our creative limits to a new level.
The people, the beautiful lake views, and the other art murals throughout the city. From the moment we landed everyone was so nice and helpful. We engaged with many of the community members that offered their help, took pictures and gave us very nice compliments…we even got a round of applause one night!
We missed the late bus out one night while we were trying to put in some the final touches and we ended up having to walk 2 miles from the last bus stop to where we were staying. While the air was nice and brisk, it felt like we were in Walking Dead with a bunch of gear while the streets were empty. Luckily, we did not encounter any zombies.
Pushing our creative realm, the waterfall, the changing of the seasons, the interviews and the Washington Apples! This is our first 3D mural artwork on a shipping container. The experience of walking around the mural and seeing each element as a distinct but unified whole is a brand new take on public artworks. We were very fortunate to be interviewed about our process by The Hastings Gazette and KDWA radio station.
Art on a shipping container comes with a specific set of challenges. The most complicated pattern section of the mural was on the corrugated part of the shipping container. The corrugated surface made the lines breakup over the edge of the angled corrugation. We had to spend a lot of extra time fixing each line to make sure they were smooth. We had an unexpected temperature drop which gave us a slower drying time on the paint and we lost a days worth of work in the beginning stages. Luckily, we were prepared for any delays and we were able to complete the project one day ahead of schedule.
Imagine that you are contacted one day to create a massive mural in Wynwood with your favorite animals doing something completely out of the ordinary. Well, we were offered just that and we were trilled! We developed an amazing concept based around the client products and the end result was stunning! This massive mural is 14 feet by 70 feet with an adjacent wall that matches all the colorful patterns. It is a truly unique experience that customers love!
Its always hard to calculate how much paint you will actually need when you have about 15 plus colors to mix. Paint containers become your biggest resource. After matching, labeling and numbering each color, we developed a process that made working with so many colors easy. The great thing about challenging murals is that we learn from each process and each challenge provides us with the experience and knowledge to perfect our craft.
If someone had told us that we would one day paint a massive sky and cherub ceiling mural at an ocean side beach house where Richard Nixon stayed we surely wouldn’t have believed them. Not only did we encounter our biggest challenge of recreating a classical Italian cherub painting but we had to created it on a vaulted ceiling 30 feet about the first floor. What can we say? We were modern day Michelangelo’s, putting our color theory and skills to the test. It was not only an honor but a valuable asset to our portfolio. We were able to show our abilities on a whole new level and that is amazing!
Watch that neck and that 30 foot drop! The vaulted ceiling had angles that were difficult to work with. We cramped up our necks and backs so the project took a bit longer to complete than first anticipated. We were careful around the edges of the scaffold, any misstep could result in a serious injury or a fatal 30 foot fall. All in all, we took our time to make sure we were careful and physically able to give it our best!
Each project is unique with its own set of goals and challenges. Though we are ready to do whatever it takes to finish the project with the most stunning result , we know that we must always be fully prepared for any delays or unexpected situations.
We love this process, we can’t imagine anything else in the world that is more fulfilling than to travel, meet new people and create amazing murals and art. We are not afraid of any challenge. In fact, for us each challenge is learning process that benefits the quality and execution of our work.
We look forward to an amazing year of new murals and public art!
If you would like to know what current projects we are currently working on, make sure to give us a follow on our social media pages below:
Instagram ; TheColorDreamers
Facebook : TheColorDreamers
Twitter: TheColorDreamer
YouTube: ColorDreamers
Colordreamer Ivette Cabrera’s work will be on exhibit at Yellowstone Art Museum’s 50th Art Auction. If you are in the Montana area check out an amazing night of entertainment, music and art.
Art Auction 50 exhibition will be on view:
January 25, 2018–March 3, 2018
50th Annual Art Auction Event
March 3rd, 2018 at 5 p.m.
The Yellowstone Art Museum is proud to host the longest-running and most diverse of the region’s art auctions. This event has opened the door between artists and collectors and has made Billings, Montana, an art-rich environment. Take part as we celebrate this milestone at both the exhibition opening on Thursday, January 25, 2018 and the main event on Saturday, March 3, 2018. The event will be held at the Yellowstone Art Museum located at 401 North 27th Street, Billings, Montana. The Annual Art Auction is the YAM’s most significant fundraising event, generating proceeds in support of exhibitions and educational programming for the entire year.
Everyone is invited to an opening reception for the Art Auction 50 exhibition, which will be held on January 25, 2018 from 5:30-7:30 p.m. The opening event will be the first chance to view this year’s Art Auction artwork selections from 131 artists from across the nation, including 110 Montana artists. There will be live music and hors d’oeuvres and free admission for members. The exhibition will remain open for viewing and silent auction Buy-It-Now and bidding available up to the event on March 3rd (Buy-It-Now ends on Friday, March 2nd, at 8 p.m.).
In honor of the 50th Art Auction, the YAM is proud to offer a golden opportunity to display and auction an extremely rare print by Pablo Picasso, titled Portrait d’Homme à la Fraise, Variation d’après El Greco, 1962. This opportunity was made possible through the generosity of Galerie Michael. Do not miss this once in a lifetime occasion to view and bid on work by Pablo Picasso in Billings, Montana.
The exhibition culminates in our Annual Art Auction, which consists of a silent auction, a live auction, a “Quick Draw,” cocktails, and gourmet heavy hors d’oeuvres, all within the beautiful spacious galleries. The Auction begins Saturday, March 3, at 5 p.m. and features a dinner and dessert buffet catered by Thomas Nelson Catering. The Live Auction bidding begins at 7:00 p.m. and will include a raffle drawing for exquisite jewelry donated by Montague’s Jewelers.
Advance tickets to the Art Auction event go on sale January 25th online and at the museum.General admission tickets are $95 per person and $105 at the door. Raffle tickets may be purchased separately and the ticket holder need not be present to win.
The 50th Annual Art Auction is generously sponsored by:
Dimensions: 96 sq ft – Artist Fabricated panels
Medium: Golf Leaf – Benjamin Moore – Acrylic Paints
Location: Miami Beach Edition Hotel
Description: May 24th 2017 we took part in the FN CEO Summit featuring top fashion designers from around the world. During the networking event where CEO’s like Victor Luis, of Coach and Christian Louboutin gave presentations The Color Dreamers painted a live mural. The mural was painted within 24 hours giving viewers a live mural experience that allowed them to see quick artwork transformations. and application of Gold Leaf elements.
The event took place at “Miami Beach Edition” Hotel in Miami Beach, FL.
Public Art Mural Commission on shipping container for the city of Hastings in Minnesota. The concept for this artwork was developed through the inspiration of Audubon’s Birds of America. Our current series explores the connection to nature along with the historical elements that make up the fabric of our heritage.
The pattern was developed in reference to a Native American pattern with elements of the Plains Native Americans.” In a series of new treaties the U.S. government forced Native Americans to give up their land and move to reservations in exchange for protection from attacks by white settlers.”This artwork commemorates the union and remembrance of the people who inhabited the land and their connection to nature while providing a striking aesthetic to its surroundings.
By honoring our history we can continue to pave a new road to prosperity and unity together.
Overall we have to say that Hastings we love you! Thank you so much for allowing us to change the landscape of your city with some beautiful art. The idea of painting artwork on a shipping container definitively hits the top of our bucket list for the most amazing ideas for creating public art.
Here are some additional photos of the beautiful Hastings landscape and the process of completely refacing this container.
The Color Dreamers spent October in Hastings Minnesota working on the warming house mural in collaboration with The Arts Task Force of Hastings. The artwork is for City of Hastings Art in Public Places and will be displayed during winter season set on top a maze.
Here is a look at the process of painting the mural! Enjoy!
The Art Basel season is upon us and I am excited to announce that I will be live painting and exhibiting at Spectrum Art Fair for this years Miami Art Week.
Live painting days will be Wednesday 6-9pm and Saturday 1-5pm.
Fans and collectors get your free passes here
Public Show Hours
Thursday, December 7 | 1:00PM – 9:00PM
Friday, December 8 | 1:00PM – 10:00PM
Saturday, December 9 | 1:00PM – 9:00PM
Sunday, December 10 | 12:00PM – 5:00PM
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Spectrum Miami—a curated contemporary art show in the heart of Miami’s Arts & Entertainment District featuring an international slate of artists and galleries. It’s where contemporary meets extraordinary. Join us for a five-day fine art experience, featuring Art Labs, Art Talks, Meet the Artist sessions, music, entertainment, and other special events.
Life Is Art is excited to bring over two dozen local artists painting live at Spectrum Miami 2017 for #ArtFusion!
Featured Wynwood Artists:
Alejandra Vargas, Alfred Hernandez, Amir Shakir, Brenda Presil, Chip Southworth, Courtney Einhorn, Dorvilier Olivier, Edwive Seme, Emil Bodourov, Eric Karbeling, Grace Mcgann, Griselda Lechini, Harmony Jones, Ivette Cabrera, Javier Valle Perez, Jd Jorge De Lara, Jennifer Maria, Jorge Bravo, Juan Navarro, Litana, Marco Caridad, María Patiño, Marlet Lopez, Melinda Gallop-The Brushless Artist, Opin, Renda Writer, Roberto Manoly, Tilly Strauss
Enjoy this time lapse video of The Color Dreamers painting the Veridian Grove Logo on their new show room. Here we are using Modern Masters copper paint to achieve an awesome metallic look.
