JOSE VIVES-ATSARA

"Wildflowers"  $13,500  Oil on Canvas  24" X 30"

"Pueblo-Catalonia Spain"  $12,500  Oil on Canvas  24" X 30"

Jose Vives-Atsara was born in Vilafranca del Panades in the Catalonian region of Spain on April 30, 1919. As a small boy he loved to sketch with pencil and paper. He began painting at the age of eleven. His first one-man show came at the ripe old age of fourteen. From that time on, painting has been his love and his way of life.
Jose studied art at Saint Raymond College and the School of Fine Arts in Barcelona. His is quick to admit that his most inspirational teacher has been nature itself.

Mr. Vives-Atsara came to San Antonio in 1956 where he has established his art career. His use of a palette knife in painting allows him to blend rich pure pigments to achieve his goal of creating a powerful statement of color directly on the canvas. This style is intended to produce works that are distinctively Vives-Atsara.

Vives-Atsara is represented in public collections including the Museum of Modern Art, Spain; Fort Worth Art Museum, Texas; His Royal Highness Juan Carlos, King of Spain; the Vatican; the State Capitals of many southern states of the United States.

He has also been a lecturer and teacher. He was the Artist-In-Resident at Incarnate Word College, San Antonio, Texas. Although Mr. Vives-Atsara studied with many well-known European teachers, he insists that he is still learning about painting and is growing his range of subjects. His focus is on depicting the character of the people of Mexico, colorful and strong florals, and his Texas landscapes, which he regards as breathtaking.

"Vives-Atsara considers himself fortunate in his ability to approach, even in a small way, the wonders that God has offered to man. For more than forty years, hard work and discipline have been his way of life. 'Discipline in our lives is something that we sometimes do not like today, but helps us achieve what we really want tomorrow.' "


Written and submitted September 2004 by Shannon Gillespie Hanna.