María Rosa Gómez
"A Thousand Colours & A Thousand Corners of Ayamonte"
Rosacano

María Rosa Gómez was one of the instigators for the now annual event called Paseo por el Arte in Ayamonte and it was there two years ago I saw some of her paintings and made a mental note to make sure to interview her at some stage for Infoayamonte. Today 25th February 2015 in Vila Real de Santo Antonio I finally get to round to viewing more of her art and to introduce her via this interview to the Infoayamonte readers.
M: Hi Rosa, thanks for meeting me.
R: My pleasure, you should have come to the opening night as there was wine and tapas.Rosacano
M: Would have loved to but I have been pretty busy with work.
R: Next time I will give you plenty of notice so no excuses.
M: That’s a deal, so tell me Rosa how long have you been painting for?
R: I have always loved painting but I think the first painting I framed was when I was 16 years old more or less.
M: And what was that painting of?
R: Of the marshlands around Ayamonte. There is nothing better than capturing the light and atmosphere of the corners of Ayamonte.
M: Your paintings fall into Impressionist painting category as you said before you like Degas, Renoir and Monet but did you go to art school.
R: Never got the chance to go to art school. I am self-taught and many of my childhood friends also have a love of art and we still meet up and paint together. I like to think that I have a good sense for colours and am not afraid to mix up colours to get what I have in my head onto canvas.
M: So you have been painting a good few years, yet this is your first exhibition.
R: Working as a nurse and a full-time mother to my children (Rosa and Juan Jose) meant that painting had to take a back seat for a while and it’s only now that I am retired that I can dedicate the time my painting requires. Previously I have been involved in collective art exhibitions and of course the Paseo por el Arte in Ayamonte but it wasn’t until a good friend of mine finally encouraged me to do my own exhibition and here it is Mil Colores (A thousand colours).
M: So how has this exhibition gone for you so far?
R: When it opened many of my close friends and fellow artists came to the inauguration, you could imagine how proud I felt and feel. There is nothing better that feeling the warmth and appraisal from friends for something that is very much part of my life.
M: And why call it Mil Colores?
R: The paintings in this exhibition have a thousand colours, all mixed up, not following rules but by feeling.
M: You mentioned Paseo por el Arte and last year it was a huge success, the streets were packed, I even heard people were fighting to buy your paintings (I say part joking).
R: A number of artists including myself got together a few years ago to try and bring art back to the centre of Ayamonte and from this Paseo por el Arte was born.  Last year was very good and I sold a few paintings and the episode I think you are referring to is of a painting of Plaza de la Lota. It sold quickly and another person wanted to buy it too, in the end she commissioned me to paint a particular scene for her so in the end everyone was happy.Rosacano

M: So your first exhibition is here in Vila Real de Santo Antonio so I can call you an international artist right from the start.
R: International? Well, we are on the other side of the Guadiana River in Portugal (she says with a laugh). You know Michael, I live for painting and can get completely sucked in when painting so much so that I lose track of time and even forget to eat. That someone wants to come and view my work makes me proud.
M: So where next from here?
R: A good friend, Jose Luis Rua Nacher, asked me to do a painting based on a poem he had written. I have just completed it and he was delighted, he is going to auction off the painting for charity. We, that is a few female artists, are looking at setting up an exhibition this summer. I will let you and your readers know closer to the date once everything has been confirmed.
M: Thanks Rosa for your time and I look forward to seeing more.