"In the brush strokes of a painter, lies the history of his people."
-Marcio Díaz

Statement

I was born in Murra, a small farming town in northern Nicaragua. I loved my home, but soon realized that my talent lay not in working the land, but in painting. Eager to develop my skill, I left the countryside in 1994 to enroll at the National Institute of Fine Arts in Managua. I gradually widened the focus of my education and graduated with a BA in architecture paying my way through college by teaching painting and art history. Although I worked as an architect for several years, eventually my love for the act of creation led me to return to my painting. Now I devote myself exclusively to that.

Growing up in a rural environment gave me a special awareness for the intensity and variety of colors I found around me. As a result, all the colors I paint with can be found on Nature’s spectrum, whether it’s the blazing red of an Amapola flower, the iridescent sheen of the Guardabarranco’s feathers, or the ecstatic rainbow of a folkloric dress. At harvest time, the fields and forests of my homeland are saturated with all the hues of imagination; these are just a few of the memories that inspire my palette . . .

While living in the Pacific Northwest I developed my signature style known as “Bublism”. The effects of raindrops while driving –the distortion of objects and colors seen through the windshield- was the inspiration for the swirling colors and softly defined shapes featured in my artwork.

After drawing and coloring a background painting, I apply successive layers of color to the drawing by dipping my brush into the paint and let it drip onto the canvas. Using a special technique, I heat the canvas and then—when the pigments are almost dry—I wipe it down. I repeat this process many times, followed by many layers of circles of color to reinforce and harmonize the whole composition.

Spirituality bubbles up from my canvasses, swirls around, then melts back into the scenery. Children can sense this. In fact, the first time I exhibited this technique in public, children were especially taken with it. They spontaneously started calling it “bubble painting.” So, following their lead, I decided to call my style bubblism.

I am constantly studying art around the world and adapting what I like most to my own style. My dream is to one day build an art school for underprivileged youth in my country as well as to promote culture and strengthen and nurture friendship and collaboration thought art everywhere I go.

Resume

EDUCATION

B.A. in Architecture – UPONIC - Nicaragua 2000 - 2006

Instituto Reyno de Suecia, Estelí, Nicaragua 1995 - 2000

National School of Fine Arts “Rodrigo Peñalba” 1989 - 1995

CURRENT GALLERIES AND REPRESENTATION

ArtXchange Gallery, Seattle, WA, USA 03/10 - Present

Cole Gallery, Edmonds, WA, USA 06/13- Present

{9} The Gallery, Phoenix, AZ, USA 03/13- Present

Casa Estelí Gallery, Estelí, Nicaragua 09/07 - Present

Freeman Gallery, Santa Fe, NM, USA 3/31/19 - Present

UPCOMING EVENTS

Edmonds Art Festival, June, 2017, Edmonds, WA

Solo Exhibition, ArtXchange Gallery, Seattle, WA. USA Winter May -2017

La Quinta Art Festival, La Quinta, CA. USA March 6-9, 2014

Cole Gallery, Edmonds, WA Group Show March 2014

Bellevue Festival of the Arts, Bellevue, WA, USA July 25-27, 2014

RECENT TV SEGMENTS

In COLOR on KIRO 7 segment aired on 6/26/2011

Univision segment aired on May 2011 watch the video on YouTube.

SELECTED EXHIBITIONS

La Quinta Art Festival 03/ 2011, 03/2012, 03/2014,2015

Sausalito Art Festival, Sausalito, CA, USA Sept., 2011, 2013,2015

Solo Exhibition, ArtXchange Gallery, Seattle, WA. USA June – July, 2013

Bellevue Festival of the Arts, Bellevue, WA, USA July 2008 -2014

Edmonds Art Festival, Edmonds, WA, USA 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013

Solo Exhibition, Rio II Gallery, Manhattan, NY. USA Sept. & Oct. 2012

Corvallis Art Festival, Corvallis OR. USA Sept. 2012

Art Festival, Vancouver, Canada August 3-12, 2012

Salem Art Festival, Salem, OR, USA 2011, 2012, 2013

SOLO exhibition, ArtXchange, Seattle, WA, USA May and June, 2011

Opus Vll Gallery, Eugene, OR, USA 08/10 – 05/2012

Best of the Northwest, Seattle, WA. USA Nov. 16-18, 2012

Anacortes Art Festival Anacortes, WA, USA Aug., 5-7, 2011

Central WA University, Ellensburg, WA, USA October 2011

The Robert Daniel Gallery, Tacoma, WA, USA 12/08 – 12/10

Onda Gallery, Portland, OR, USA 02/10 – 12/10

Art in the Pearl, Portland, OR, USA 09/2010

Summer Introductions, SAM Rental Gallery, Seattle, WA, USA 07/2010 – 05/2011

Sense US 2010, ArtXchange Gallery, Seattle, WA, USA 03/2009 - 04/2010

Ethnic Art Connection Exhibition, Seattle Center, Seattle, WA USA 03/10/2010

Seattle City Hall, Art for All Exhibition 09/2009 - 11/2009

Benham Gallery, Downtown Seattle, WA, USA 02/2009 - 05/2009

Rebecca V Gallery, Tacoma, WA, USA 03/2007 - 12/2008

Hispanic Heritage Month Exhibition, Dupont, WA, USA 10/2008

Broadway Center for the Arts Exhibition, Tacoma , WA, USA 09/2008

Seattle University, Seattle, WA, USA (Solo) 01/2008 - 05/2008

University of Washington, Bothell , WA, USA (Solo) 03/2008 - 05/2008

Latino Art Exhibition, Tacoma, WA, USA 11/2007 - 02/2008

All Nations World Cup, Tukwila, WA, USA 06/2008

All Nations World Cup, Tukwila, WA, USA 07/2007

Palacio Nacional de la Cultura, Managua, Nicaragua 04/2006

Casa de Cultura Estelí, Estelí, Nicaragua (Solo and Collective) 1995-2005

“Arte Nica” Frankfurt, Germany 2003

Casa de Cultura, Granada, Nicaragua

Casa de Cultura Masaya, Nicaragua

Casa de Cultura Matagalpa, Nicaragua

Teatro Ruben Dario, Managua, Nicaragua

Teatro Justo Rufino Garay (In honor of Vincent Van Gogh)

Centro Cultural Managua, Nicaragua (Solo)

Galería Praxis, Managua, Nicaragua (Solo and Collective)

Galería Genesis, Managua Nicaragua (Solo and Collective)

Central American Youth Paintings, San Miguelito, El Salvador 1995

Latin American Paintings, Popular Library, Boulder, CO, USA 1995

Niños en el Exilio, Tegucigalpa, Honduras 1990

PUBLIC COLLECTIONS

Odyssey Enterprises, Inc., Seattle, WA, USA

Banco Central de Nicaragua, Managua, Nicaragua

Seattle University, Seattle, WA USA

Casa Estelí, Estelí, Nicaragua

Boulder Popular Library, Boulder, CO, USA

AWARDS

Anacortes Art Festival Anacortes, WA, USA 2011

National Art Contest, 3rd Place Winner, Nicaragua 2007

Artist of the Year, Estelí, Nicaragua 2005, 2006

Recognition for high standards and quality of work by the

Ministry for the Cultural Advancement of Nicaragua, Granada, Nicaragua 2000

Commendation for Craft and Artistry by the City of Estelí, Nicaragua 2000

Inspirational Young Latino Artist, Boulder, CO, USA 1995

PUBLICATIONS

“Exploring Depth, Breadth of Latino Art in the Northwest,” Michael Upchurch, Seattle Times, March 2010

Diaz’s paintings the have graced covers of several books and literary magazines. He has been featured on Nicaraguan national television, in local and national newspapers as well as in some newspapers and television in Washington State.

SENSE US Seattle Times http://www.seattletimes.com/entertainment/artxchange-show-gives-a-sense-of-depth-breadth-of-latino-art-in-the-nw/

In COLOR on KIRO 7, segment aired on 6/26/2011

Univision video on YouTube

Tiny Bubbles: The effervescent Pastorals of Marcio Diaz http://www.seattletimes.com/entertainment/visual-arts/tiny-bubbles-the-effervescent-pastorals-of-marcio-daz/

NOTES OF INTEREST

Worked as sketch artist for a live television show in Nicaragua for 2 years.

Worked as a math, art and art history teacher at the high school and college level.

Organizes supports and/or teaches workshops for young talents.

Is involved with the arts community Nicaragua and continues to promote Nicaraguan culture, people and art in current home Washington State, USA.

Is currently taking intensive English classes in pursuit of a Master’s degree in Fine Arts.

LANGUAGES

Spanish and English