Robert Viña
Biography
As an artist:
Robert Viña is a lifelong resident of the Rio Grande Valley of South Texas. His father is of Spanish heritage while his mother is of Welsh decent. They were both educators and were able to provide Robert with an excellent education.
Robert or “Bob” (as known to his friends) has his paintings shown in Galleries, chic Bistros and collected by art enthusiasts throughout the region. His bold colors, black outlines and his copyrighted heart shaped mouth are easily recognizable in his “Expressionistic” paintings. Bob studied art in Mexico City in the late 60”s and later received a Bachelor’s Degree in Art Education and a Masters’ Degree in Education from U.T. Pan American University in Edinburg, Texas. He is a certified art teacher and taught art for several years before going into School administration. Bob’s journey as an artist began when he was a child. “I always loved to draw and make things when I was a kid. Later in high school I liked drafting and took lots of art classes. In college I learned to paint in oils and to appreciate the works of the great master painters. My paintings are a reflection of my faith, my life experiences, my love for the beauty of Nature and the appreciation of the human form.”
Bob’s artistic journey has been influenced by many artist. He appreciates the soft brilliance of the French Impressionist Monet and the abstractions of Picasso and Mondrian. “I have also been fascinated by the simple boldness of the paintings of Mark Rothko and have incorporated some of his broad usage of color in many of my current works. My first college experience was in Mexico City in the late 60’s. That’s where I learned to appreciate the works of the great Mexican muralist like Rivera, Tamayo, Orozco and Siqueiros. I transferred back to Texas to complete my bachelor’s degree and started producing oil paintings with a variety of styles. I stopped painting for many years when I went into School administration—a big mistake. A dear friend Marion who had always appreciated my work insisted that I start painting again, so I picked up a brush loaded with paint and started to apply it on a small canvas. The feeling was explosive and felt like an electric charge went all through my body. I was hooked. Today, over 400 canvases later, I look back with fond appreciation to all who have supported my artistic journey through the years.”
Bob was honored with a solo exhibition in 2011 in the downtown Art Gallery of the University of Texas San Antonio and has participated in numerous solo and group exhibitions of his paintings throughout South Texas, Mexico and even 2 shows in Las Vegas Nevada. “I am honored to have a large following of collectors who appreciate my work.”
During the last 20+ years of painting, Bob has developed several unique painting styles. His most recognizable signature in many of his figurative paintings is the “heart shaped” mouth on the faces of the women in his paintings. This iconic metaphor represents the beautiful expressions that come from the mouth of a woman. He has copyrighted this image and uses it extensively in his portraits and even in personalized jewelry.
Bob’s second most recognizable technique is the bold red color which he uses on many of his canvases. It takes 7 steps to perfect the richness of the red. “It must appear brilliant and rich, and yet portray an antique appearance. Some of my artist friends have even called it ‘The Viña Red’.”
“I have recently experimented with the Minimalist painting style in which I use a ‘post stroke’ technique where I apply stroke upon stroke of oil paint and blend the colors while it is still wet. It may appear random, but it is an exciting fast paced painting experience.”
“Every canvas is a new experience, they each have their own statement and energy. I have always loved art and painting has been a beautiful passion that never ages….What a grand adventure this is.…Enjoy!”
As a writer:
“I have approached my adventures in the field of literary arts as a painter would approach a canvas. I try to paint a visual image on the page with words. My task is to merge the sentences and paragraphs into a work of art –a literary composition of feelings and events. No easy task, especially since I have not had any formal training to write novels. I have worked hard to tell the stories which I wish to share. I started writing later in my life due to my preoccupation with painting. The time came however when I needed to express myself in another means besides paint on canvas. I had stories to tell—straight from my experiences and my imagination which is always on ‘Fast forward.’ So, with the help of my son Adrian, who is a professional screenplay writer in Los Angeles, I jumped right in. I do tons of research in my novellas and try to provide the reader with a fast paced fun filled story line–full of accurate descriptions of the time period. They are usually based on love and romance and loaded with comedy. I write all my stories in long hand before I type them on my laptop which produces shelves and drawers full of notebooks. Currently, I have two novels available which were produced by Amazon.”
“The Contessa”-published 2022-Amazon
“My current book titled ‘The Contessa’ is a romance novel depicting the exploits of a young South Texas artist named Roberto whose nickname is ‘Tex’ as he attends an art academy in Mexico City in the late 60’s and falls madly in love with a fellow student who happens to be a Countess and comes from one of the wealthiest families in all of Mexico. Is it an impossible love?”
The reader is challenged to hop into the bucket seat of “Tex’s” brand new 1967 Mustang and slam a Motown tape into the eight track, turn up the volume and let “Tex” take you on a whirlwind ride of emotion and romance through the streets of Mexico City, historic San Antonio, the art district of New Orleans and the Rio Grande Valley of South Texas during the late 60’s as he pursues the affection of a gorgeous woman who is not only beautiful but is an extremely talented artist. Sit back and enjoy the rollicking efforts of Roberto as he pursues the affection of Natalia– “The Contessa.” A woman who is obviously way out of his class, especially according to her family and her current suitor….Mexico’s premier matador Rafael. Undaunted, Tex, who lives in downtown Mexico City with a bunch of zany housemates is determined to capture the Contessa’s heart. The story takes place in the extraordinary 60’s and early 70’s and is loaded with humor, emotion and tons of nostalgia with lots of music references of the era. Whoa, hold on now, the gang is getting together, the ice, coke and Bacardi have arrived, rock and roll music is booming, so it must be party time….who knows the Contessa herself might even show up—Salud!
Although the book is romantic fiction, I did rely on many of my personal experiences while I attended college in Mexico City in the late1960’s. I think that writing about things one has experienced brings a level of authenticity to the story which I hope the reader will appreciate. Below is a picture of myself when I attended college in Mexico City.
“The Faculty Club”-Published 2019
“My first book titled “The Faculty Club” is a sizzling tale of romance on the Texas/Mexico border during WWII. It is considered historical fiction since the building in the story actually existed in Edinburg, Texas as a dormitory for teachers and was fondly known as “The Faculty Club” by the faculty who resided there. It deals with a love triangle between a wealthy young man and his two loves—one an attractive sophisticated and educated faculty instructor and the second a beautiful vivacious Mexican servant who works at the Faculty Club to pay for her college education. It is packed with drama, romance and humor as it explores the prejudices between Anglos and Hispanics in South Texas during that era. “I don’t have to rely on others to describe the ethnic prejudices of the1950’s and 60’s since my heritage is both ‘Anglo’ and ‘Hispanic’ I witnessed firsthand the prejudices between ‘Anglos’ and ‘Hispanics.’ while attending public school in a small town in South Texas. Below is a photos of the actual Faculty Club before it was demolished in 2008.
“The Imposter”-work in progress
The latest concept for a new book deals with a college student who pretends to be other students and attends their classes and takes their tests for the right price. It takes place in present day in Los Angeles, California. Business is going well until a relationship with a fellow student threatens to explode his empire. With the help of a motor cycle riding Chaplin, the imposter must make some enormous decisions. This story deals with redemption and our choices in life.
Artist/Author contact: Robert Viña
Rvina20720@aol.com
956 607 0790