Meet Maribel Manzanares | Figurative Artist

We had the good fortune of connecting with Maribel Manzanares and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Maribel, can you tell us more about your background and the role it’s played in shaping who you are today?
I’m from Madrid Spain. But I have been traveling for many years, mainly through the United States. I think that as Spaniards we have a strong root of great painters. This means that we have inevitably developed a taste for quality art.
But having been able to travel, open your mind to new influences, different cultures is deeply enriching.
Therefore I would say that the sum of European academic art knowledge, the strong Spanish personality, and the opening of new fields together with the American imprint, define my style as an artist today.

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.
I am a figurative artist, the genre that best represents me is portraiture. My goal is to be able to give life to who I paint.

My language is realism, my intention is to be able to make social criticism through it, make you reflect and meditate or simply show the beauty of everyday life.

On the other hand, in parallel, I dedicate myself to commissioned works, as a portraitist and I paint as an official copyist in prestigious museums such as the Prado Museum, Thyssen and Louvre.

It has been and is a difficult path but at the same time, I cannot imagine my life without art. The most difficult part is overcoming uncertainty, and at the same time it is the most enriching part, because it shows you that everything is possible.

If I have learned anything in this process, it is that opportunities are always around the corner, inspiration has to catch you creating, working hard, and take advantage of those opportunities without fear, and that we are always learning, luckily until the last day of our life.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
Difficult to define a route, Miami is beautiful and has many hidden gems. From the inside to the outside… I would say that La Fresa Francesa, in Hialeah, is a place with exquisite food. A wonderful sunset on any lake in Doral.
A day visiting art galleries in Fort Lauderdale, in Las Olas, or visiting the beach.
Pembroke Pines and its nature.
Oleta Park, is wonderful to get to know a natural park.
The El Portal neighborhood, where there are quiet and very good quality restaurants, I recommend having brunch in the area.
Spend a day in Wynwood, seeing its murals, entering the galleries, at night there is also a great social life. One of my favorite restaurants is KYU Miami.
End the day with live music at Lagniappe.
Walk through Downtown, visit its museums or Bayfront Park.
Visit Vizcaya, which is one of my favorite places to get lost.
If we continue down, eating and walking through the Coconut Grove neighborhood is highly recommended, it is a quiet and beautiful neighborhood.
And very close by is my favorite hideaway, Barnacle Historic Park, with a beautiful view of the water, in stillness.
It is worth a wine tour through Homestead, or going up to the Key Biscayne lighthouse.

There is so much to see in Miami other than Ocean Drive!

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
I would like to make a special mention of all the artist collectives both in Spain and Miami with whom I have had the opportunity to grow and influence each other.

Website: https://maribelmanzanares.com/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/manzanares_fineart/

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/maribelmanzanares/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/maribelmanzanaresfineart/

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCRKfVJB1sdE40ysWiJVYN9g

Image Credits
Maribel Manzanares