Artist Biography

In my own words ...

    I was born in Havana, Cuba to Spaniard and French parents. By the age of sixteen I was already a television singing star on Havana's Hit Parade. A few years later I moved to Miami where my dream of becoming a painter - Picasso, Modigliani, Dali - was put on hold, because food had to be put on the table. As a Cuban immigrant, I had an inherent work ethic that had me working as many jobs as I could, but still finding time for sketching and sculpturing lessons in Coconut Grove, along with classes in hairstyling (Gordon's Beauty School), where my sculpturing talents found yet further expression.

    I had a keen artistic eye and a natural talent with my hands, which brought me instant success; and, as is my style, I gave myself a specific time limit to exhaust the Miami Beach clientele and eventually made the move to New York City, where I quickly set up shop in the West Village. The shop was an instant success and before you knew it, I made the move into television commercials, daytime TV, opera and theatre, becoming 'first call' (personally) to such lumanries as Julie Christie, Joan Sutherland, Trish Van Der Vere, George C. Scott, Rex Harrison and many others. I often flashback to somewhere between the ages of nine and eleven, when I was sent to New York City to learn how to speak English, realizing it was there where I first discovered I had a gift for painting. I was compelled to paint the multi-colored images hanging on the tenement clotheslines of Baruch Place on Manhattan's Lower East Side, with the Brooklyn Bridge serving as a very dramatic backdrop. My art teacher's response was so strong that the painting was published in the school paper. I was very proud.

    Even though I went on to enjoy success in every field of endeavor - as lyricist and book writer for the Musical Theatre Works production of the musical, Sugar Hill, [with theatre composer, Louis St. Louis], garnering a New York Times rave review - along with an Emmy Nomination for my work in daytime TV [under the name of Roberto Donzi] - I still  felt I had not completely fulfilled my true artistic destiny (my Cuban

American Dream.) And so, as is my style,  I gave up everything and moved to Denver, Colorado to begin my new life, solely as an artist.  

Thank you for taking the time to learn about me and I hope you enjoy your tour through the gallery.

Roberto

Mentors:

Dale Chisman
Collections at The National Museum of Art, Denver Art Museum and the Denver Museum of Contemporary Art.

Rob Gratiot
1999 American Artist Magazine Finalist, Today Competition, John Lennon Sunglasses, numerous galleries nationally, currently showing at Sandra Phillips Gallery in Denver.

Chuck Ceraso
Denver Museum and Bolder, Colorado Studion

Ernie Wallace
Yavapai College in Prescott, Arizona, Professor of Drawing and Painting

Copyright © 2007 All images are the property of

Roberto Fernandez and may not be used without permission.