College Times

Issue date: 7/19/07 Section: Main Stories

Artist Al Alcantara's work is a blend of classical elegance, innovative technique, rich texture and tender emotion that was cultivated as he studied and sought inspiration around the globe.
"I traveled all around Italy just to learn and to get ideas," Alcantara said. "It helped a lot, to take the antique old-world style and combine it with a new concept," he said.
The Tuscan influence is definitely present in his style, which incorporates rich brown tones and golden color.
"I am inspired every day from morning 'til night," he said. "Women inspire me, the passion, the commitment, the sweetness, the beauty, and not just the physical aspect, but the spirit and the courage of women," he said.
Creating these amazing collections involves a unique and time-consuming process of drying, layering, spraying and varnishing, which is what gives the pieces texture and a glossy look, Alcantara said.
He uses oils, acrylics, pencils, crayons and mixed media. "Mixed media allows you to add more features … to make it more interesting as far as creating a pattern that is handmade and hand designed with application of color," he said.
Oils and mixed media are what give his work a special tactile quality. "Your eyes tell you there is something you can touch, there's something you can feel," he said.
Alcantara is the featured artist of the BeyondeyeGallery. "I am very fortunate," he said. "BeyondeyeGallery is not just about painting; it is a whole service," which specializes in custom designed fine art collections and interior design accents.
His work hangs in businesses, homes and various showcases around the state as well as around Los Angeles, Reno, San Diego, San Francisco, Las Vegas and Atlanta, he said.
Although many artists tend to show their work in a traditional gallery setting, Alcantara utilizes a different approach.
"We have model homes that are used for display and at the end every month we have showcases where we bring prospects in to show them what they (paintings) look like in a home environment," he said.
He also has work hanging in the Southwest Institute of Healing Arts in Tempe.
"We started with a few different collections to get flow of different themes," Alcantara said.
Then, based on the public's response, Alcantara began to create a specific line of artwork for the location, he said. "It's hard to say exactly how many pieces went out (sold), but it was a lot."
He moved 18 of his angel collections, each one with four pieces in the set, Alcantara said. "The angels were a great success," he said. "I wanted to create something that went with the theme of the place (SWIHA), the healing and the connection process," he said.
Alcantara wants to make original fine art work available to more than just wealthy elites, he said. "We want to break that mentality," he said.
Alcantara was born in Mexico and grew up in North Carolina and Toronto, where he attended fine arts school before moving to Los Angeles and eventually, Arizona.
His interest in art was sparked at a young age by way of his father, an avid art collector. "My dad was a huge influence on me," he said. "It started when I was a little kid, he showed me how to appreciate the fact that something is nice, strong, colorful, bright and to appreciate that it was made by hand."

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