Thursday, October 18, 2012

New Works Available

Friends of Photo Cuba,

Germán's daughter is turning 15 in November, which means there will be a quinceañera. This is a really important rite of passage in Latin culture in which a girl symbolically becomes a woman.  It's a coming of age party equivalent in importance to a wedding in North America.  Germán is hoping to help fund this ceremony and a bit more of his house construction with the money raised by the sales of these paintings.

There are only seven paintings, shown below, available for $100 each. If you are interested in purchasing one we will be traveling to Cuba in November so we will be able to deliver the payment to him and return home with the artwork. Trina will be able to accept payment by Visa or Mastercard, cash or debit.

These are fine examples of Germán's Cuban symbolic storytelling.

Sincerely,
Scott and Trina


30.5x40cm


30.5x40cm


30.5x40cm


30.5x40cm


60x70cm


37x45cm



120x50cm

Sunday, March 11, 2012

Next February 17-24, 2013 take your photography to the next level on our one-of-a-kind travel workshop to Santiago de Cuba.

Work with our award-winning Canadian photographic team to enhance your personal photographic expression with a focus on visual storytelling, portraiture and design. Experience contemporary Cuban life off the resorts with our Cuban team members, including a Cuban art professor. Through the art of photography, you will connect with the incredibly warm, open and photogenic Cuban people in a trip of a lifetime.

For details fo to www.photocubaworkshop.com.

Saturday, September 24, 2011

Photo Surrealism Workshop 2011


Germán Portuondo and Laura Taylor are teaching the Fun and amazing photo-realism workshop tomorrow (Sunday September 25) from 10am till 5pm.  $125.

Your Cuban lunch is included, to be prepared by Germán himself, who is not only a great artist but also a very talented cook.

People had tonnes of fun with the one he taught last year.  There are still a few spots left so call or email the studio today to book your spot!
Call 519-767-2948
email info@trinakoster.com
Cheers!
Scott Mooney and the TKP Team

Tuesday, September 28, 2010

Surrealist Art Making Workshops in November!

The Surrealist Painting Workshop
with German Portuondo

Discover a new level of creative self expression!  In this painting class you will create a surrealistic piece of art, guided by Cuban artist German Portuondo’s surrealistic sensibilities.  

To illustrate the principles of this art form German will discuss the emergence and development of art in Cuba, including the importance of colors and themes used in Cuban paintings. 

Surrealism is an art form using the exploration of symbolism and an altered reality to create imaginative self expression that is free form the strict bounds of objective pictorial art.  This allows you more freedom to use images to explore and express your experience of the world.   

In this class you will explore your own surrealistic visions.  German will guide you through subject development, technique, material and content.  You will work with acrylic and natural and found objects and images to create visions that arise from the relationship between your mind and the world around you.  

German is a visionary artist, professor of art at two universities in the Santiago region of Cuba, and Director of the Chiverico Art Gallery.  He’s here in Ontario for a rare and special cultural and artistic exchange.  This workshop is your opportunity to participate in it!

$55
Max 8 people
Bring your own painting materials and paper bag lunch.
    
Date:
Sat Nov 6th 10am-4pm

Location:    
Tom Dietrich’s Studio, Guelph,
103 Wyndham Street North, 2nd Floor
(above Vicanie's Lingerie)

To register contact Tom Dietrich
519-265-4139 or email tom@tomdietrich.ca 




The Surrealist Photography Workshop
with German Portuondo

Discover a new level of creative self expression! 
In this photography class you will create surrealistic art, guided by Cuban artist German Portuondo’s surrealistic sensibilities.  

To illustrate the principles of this art form German will discuss the emergence and development of art in Cuba, including the importance of colors and themes used in Cuban paintings. 

Surrealism is an art form using the exploration of symbolism and an altered reality to create imaginative self expression that is free form the strict bounds of objective pictorial art.  This allows you more freedom to use images to explore and express your experience of the world.  

Using photography you will explore your own surrealistic visions.  German will guide you through subject development and content.  You will work with your camera and natural and found objects and images to create visions that arise from the relationship between your mind and the world around you. 

German is a visionary artist, professor of art at two universities in the Santiago region of Cuba, and Director of the Chiverico Art Gallery.  He’s here in Ontario for a rare and special cultural and artistic exchange.  This workshop is your opportunity to participate in it!

$75
Max 12 people
Bring your own digital camera.  Laptop with Photoshop optional.
     
Sunday, November 21, 2010, 10am-4pm
Location: Trina Koster Photography, Guelph, 260 Waterloo Ave.
       
To register contact Trina Koster Photography: 
Phone 519-767-2948  or email info@trinakoster.com

Thursday, September 23, 2010

See and Get Great Art, Support German's Cultural Exchange in Canada

Photo: Shannon Nicholson/Photo Cuba 2010

 Hola everyone!

Most of you know we have been doing a travel cultural exchange photography workshop in Cuba for the past 6 years.  German (pronounced "Her·man") Portuondo is the art professor who we co-teach with during Photo Cuba.  German is here in Canada for a two-month cultural and artistic exchange...  and you can be a part of it!

German is here to make art, but he also came with about 20 really amazing new painting in his surrealistic style (a la Salvador Dali).  This new collection of work will be the feature of the silent auction that we will be having during the welcome fiesta/ fundraiser party in German's honour.  All the proceeds from this fund raiser will go to paying for German's flight, medical insurance, art supplies and cultural experiences while here in Ontario.

Please join us on Sunday September 26th at 7pm for a fun evening together at our studio. You are welcome to bring as many people as you would like, the more the merrier... ( $15 at the door). There will be music, art and some salsa dance and of course some familiar faces to reconnect with.

It will mean so much to us if you can come out and support us in this event!  

Hope to see you on Sunday.
Trina and Scott
 

La otra mirada.

La obra pictórica del artista Germán O. Portuondo Roca nacido en Santiago de Cuba, Cuba (1972), trata de forma surrealista las problemáticas existenciales de su entorno, con una aguda visión refleja las pujanzas de su mundo por subsistir y mantener su posición ante la dinámica de otro mundo fuera de sus fronteras, estableciendo paradigmas y diferencias entre ambos. Su obra se caracteriza por el simbolismo, utilizando elementos como La Palma Real, El remo, Las escaleras, los botes, Los tenedores y cucharas además de elementos significativos de ese otro mundo que se le ha vedado.

Su gama de colores se adueña de los colores del trópico y la fusiona con la atmosfera fría del norte que nos conducen a un ocaso de luz al final del túnel.

La muestra revela la mirada de un cubano que intenta descubrir el mundo.

Another Look

The Cuban artist, German Portuondo Roca was born in Santiago de Cuba in 1972. His surrealistic approach expresses in depth the problems of his surroundings. His work reflects, with a particular vision, the strength to survive his world as well as to maintain the dynamics of the world beyond his frontiers by establishing paradigms and differences. The basic elements that surround him such as boats, paddles, lathers, forks, spoons and La palma real (Cuban national symbol) are what characterize his paintings through their symbolic meaning. He also uses significant elements of the other worlds which have been forbidden from him.

His palette takes over the colors of the tropics and merges with the cold northern atmosphere that leads to a decline of light at the end of the tunnel.

The exhibition reveals the look of a Cuban who tries to discover the world.
.