Stella P. Arbelaéz Tascón had an amazing turn out of friends who came to support her Masters in Fine art gallery opening at UCF. There was a large contingent of artists and friends she met on her hike on the Florida Trail which she hiked from Cypress National Preserve in the south up to Fort Pickins in the North.
The day after the opening, Stella invited friends to her home including, James Parris, a former Disney Feature Animation colleague, and her daughter. New Bear had a car which he had driven down from Maryland and he brought Just Jeff. They were both hiking buddies from Stella’s hike on the Florida National Scenic Trail. Since I was working back at my studio virtually, I missed much of the gathering.
With my last student, I was teaching contour drawing methods, and she was in a coffee shop, so our last prompt was to use contour to draw the room around us. Since I was in bed, I drew my feet extended On the Pulse comforter. At 6pm I threw on my art bag and rushed over to Stella’s to join her friends.
The plan was to have dinner at my Alex Alberaez’s home which was a short drive away. I got to catch up James Parris there.
Stella set up her power point on her brothers big screen TV and we got to experience what she would be presenting at her thesis presentation for her professors and committee members. At the beginning of her presentation she thanked those who had helped her on her journey towards getting her masters degree. Then she started talking about her family and she had to pause. There was so much love in the room with family and friends and she must have felt that. Then her presentation hit it’s full flow. The story is profound, universal and moving, and it is fueling some amazing art.
Soon she will be giving the presentation to the actual committee and professors whose job is to cross examine her and ask questions. Her job at this rehearsal was to defend her positions when asked challenging questions by friends and family. My few questions were rather soft balls.
This is her artist statement: “I explore the relationship between Nature (viewed as a living entity) and mental health through the intersections of personal experience and societal constructs. I share my evolution while healing from emotional trauma and after having walked 1,130 miles (1,818kn) as a through-hiker of the Florida National Scenic Trail. The work aims to be of service and entice a higher level of consciousness, directed to the nurturing of the self and protection of nature. while increasing appreciation and respect for it.