cats

About Castles, Stories, Cats and Lovers.
Cats and lovers – Lysice Castle collection – 2022

This painting is the final result of a week in happiness.

I was invited to an Artistic Residency at Lysice Castle in the Czech Republic. One whole week of painting, interacting with my peers, being allowed to exercise my art while thriving in a beautiful environment, full of history, love and magic.

In the first day I sat there surrounded by amazing talented artists, feeling shy and insecure, over excited and having no idea about what to paint. My creative process usually goes like this: I have many paintings inside of me but I need to quiet my mind before they start pouring out. It was a little intimidating at first because I have been a fan of many of the colleagues that where there, for years. And the artist impostor syndrome inside of me said… ”No matter what you paint, it will never be as good as their work”. Insecurity and cruel hidden monsters under our beds are a sad pattern in the life for many, me included. But luckily I allowed myself to just do what I have been doing for the past 45 years… just play. Art is not about being anything, it’s about making and enjoying it.

Art is indeed bedded in the painters soul. It runs through my veins as it did for my ancestors, so I should not be afraid of stating out my truth, whatever it is. Just enjoying by doing it. It was not a competition, it was rather a beautiful opportunity to create something simple, having fun without any pretensions. My colleagues showed me the way and their presente became my inspiration.


I started 3 paintings out of immaculate blank canvasses, in this beautiful place, surrounded by loving, talented friends. It felt incredible. The kind of happiness that we only hear in the end of fairytales. There was music, laughter, good food, peacefulness to paint, perfect days which should be the creative nectar for any living artist… And I was there, fully present, living this experience.

The paintings were flowing quite instinctively and I was having blessed fun. When I first realized what I was painting it was too late for changing it. Cats and lovers??? How kinky is that?! Why am I painting such a silly, kinky little story? It was my first time in the Czech Republic and I had no idea if the subject was at all accepted, it they were too uptight to understand the fun and joke behind such a theme. I started panicking a little… will this be too weird? Then I asked my friends and specially one of my favorite artists ever, Czech painter Jiří Vidlák (check his amazing work!) and he comforted me: “You are in one of the freest countries you could ever be, no worries about it!” And then I knew that it was not a shocker and my free creation was in good, safe hands.

In fact , when I finished, it was the chosen work to be donated to the Castle’s collection, proving his point that in there art is respected as an instrument of free speech, expression and creativity. In the end I realized that that piece had nothing to do with kinky, but plenty of woman empowerment and right of choice. Plenty of pleasure and fun without the guilt of disapproval. Cats and lovers is the symbol of believing in the power of doing anything that grows naturally in you instead of denying your inner calls. Art is just like that. If you do it for pleasing others you will end up pleasing no one.

Stick to your truth. Have fun with it. Be considerate to others. Be kind. Give less importance to ego and more power to collectiveness. Create freely. Believe in free narratives. Allow things not to be perfect…and you will find perfection of the wholeness. We are all broken pieces of a bigger broken plan that succeeded. In this magical adventure I understood that reality is indeed surreal. Love is everywhere when you ignore the fears, overbearing ego, need for approval and attention. Art is freedom.


Thank you Lysice for this beautiful opportunity. All the parts involved, you were essencial for the perfection of these days. Děkuji Zámek Lysice, Martina Rudolfová, Vladimír Jandasek, Ladislav Pukl, Zvonko Eder for the invitation, reception and impeccable experience. Thank you for all the kind people in the Castle and Hotel that made our days so special and easy. Thank you for my fellow colleagues that granted us all with such a beautiful creative week: Adzana Modlitbova, Alexandra Detinská, Alexia Molino, Dáša Vávrová, Dusan Chaloupka (and his lovely wife), Jiří Vidlák, Kikka Nyrén, Marion Alexandre, Minna Lehväslaiho, Rado Jarábek, Varsha Rajput and Zuza Novotná. You are all my shining stars 🌟 ⭐️ 💫

Obrigada, Thank you, Kiitos, Děkuji, Grazie, Ďakujem, Mercí.

Luciana Mariano

The Fake News Inc.

We are subjects to fake news on a daily basis. We have been drowning in lies for way longer than it would possibly be considered normal. Lies are not, never normal. Nor healthy. It shows deep sickness in society. It disguises the lowest forms of manipulation for the benefit of a few. It is the sign of greed and evil in its most disgusting way. We are not only fed with lies, but we help to spread it, as a deadly virus. Corona makes fewer victims than Fake News. They say: “A lie, told a million times, become the truth” – but in virtual social media times, a few likes and shares are enough to sink deeply and overtake less smart brains and become a pandemic of lies and misinformation. People have no filter, not enough information and education to differentiate right from wrong anymore. We see poor people defending rich people´s interests. We see women obeying and complying to misogyny and prejudice. We see minorities allowing their opressor to absurd acts of cruelty and violence. Fake news become justifiable knowledge for idiots. And we see all of them worshipping the very knife that will stab their own flesh, sooner or later.

The house of the three cats


The house of the three cats
Is a place where you can be who you are

There you are allowed to embrace

Whoever you were born to be.

It’s a place where freedom 

speaks louder than empty statements

And morals are built upon respect

For diversity

inclusion and justice.

In the house of the three cats

Your color

Beliefs

Sexuality

Tastes

and preferences

Can only concern yourself

And everyone else accepts you

Beyond your flaws and qualities.

Because you are

(also) 

so much more

Than your looks and opinions.

There you can exist 

without being judged

Days and nights are merely

Aspects of time

And you can interact with reality

According to your own

Perspective and perception.

There you can be 

serious

crazy

weird

All

Or nothing.

As long as you are 

Kind and respectful

Generous and gentle.

There you will find your kindred souls

No mater who you are.
Love takes you there, empathy is the key.

If you have it, you are always welcome.

******
A casa dos três gatos
É um lugar onde você pode ser o que é

Lá você tem permissão para abraçar

Aquele que você nasceu para ser.

É um lugar onde a liberdade

fala mais alto que declarações vazias

E a moral é construída sobre o respeito

Pela diversidade

inclusão e justiça.

Na casa dos três gatos

Sua cor

Crenças

Sexualidade

Gostos

e preferências

Só dizem respeito a você mesmo

E todo mundo te aceita 

Além das suas falhas e qualidades.

Porque você é

(Também)

muito mais

Do que sua aparência e opinião.

Lá você pode existir

sem ser julgado.

Dias e noites são meramente

aspectos do tempo

E você pode interagir com a realidade

de acordo com a sua

Perspectiva e percepção.

Lá você pode ser

sério

maluco

esquisito

Todos

Ou ninguém.

Contanto que você esteja

Bom e respeitoso

Generoso e gentil.

Lá você encontrará suas almas afins

Não importa quem você seja.
O amor te leva você até lá, mas empatia é a chave.

Se você a tem, você será sempre bem vindo.

Porta e Janela

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(Porta e Janela)Diptico 2x15x20cm
(Porte et Fenêtre) diptyque 2x15x20cm
(Door and Window) diptych 2x15x20cm

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5 cats

5 cats

something colorful and yet, peaceful
confusion with ease
loud silence
solitude

i am learning how self sufficient cats are.
they may seem a bit cold
but the nice thing is:
they don’t give a shit.

Time to smell the flowers

There is a picture on the wall, but I´m not sure it´s a real painting. It could be a mirror. It shows a narrow place with no windows, one painting on the right side with a quiet but colorful landscape. And then there is an open door. A door that will probably take you out of the sameness of the days. A door that was perhaps used by a tired soul to scape a world of frustration, someone that used to be buried under a safe ceiling, hidden by a comfy red armchair and cousy wall papers.
There is a key on the side coffee table. Beneath the key lays a piece of paper – maybe a message? a farewell note? or even just a gentle tissue avoiding scratches on the wooden furniture.
The flowers are silent as the cat. They both mind their own business while I wonder, frenetically, about things I don´t understand, stuff I can´t explain, feelings I can´t express.

Never mind the nonsense. Take the time to smell the flowers if you can. Run away, if you get the chance. I know I did.

*****************
Thank you Mauro, Carlos, Alba, Edson and all of my  friends for the scent of flowers and the opportunity to make a living while I continue to persue my dreams!

Lazy afternoon

A beleza do que é simples, na complexidade do que não é.

Às vezes, em dias de luz perfeita e exacta

Às vezes, em dias de luz perfeita e exacta,
Em que as coisas têm toda a realidade que podem ter,
Pergunto a mim próprio devagar
Porque sequer atribuo eu
Beleza às coisas.

Uma flor acaso tem beleza?
Tem beleza acaso um fruto?
Não: têm cor e forma
E existência apenas.
A beleza é o nome de qualquer coisa que não existe
Que eu dou às coisas em troca do agrado que me dão.
Não significa nada.
Então porque digo eu das coisas: são belas?

Sim, mesmo a mim, que vivo só de viver,
Invisíveis, vêm ter comigo as mentiras dos homens
Perante as coisas,
Perante as coisas que simplesmente existem.

Que difícil ser próprio e não ser senão o visível!

                                        Alberto Caeiro

“Cervera-Sei”

This family is not an ordinary, conservative nor traditional kind of family.

They are thinkers, artists, philosophers and creators, so they wanted an out-of-the-ordinary way to express their family portrait.

I hope it helps to keep their memories fresh throughout the years and remind themselves about how special they indeed are.

Luciana Mariano, November 16, 2009.

Sound-track: “Fly me to the moon and let me play among the stars…”

“Fly me to the moon…”

cervera1

this is the very beginning of my latest Family Portrait Painting

This will be a very special Family Portrait, because the family is also special and wanted something out of the ordinary.

Carla is a Philosopher, Henrique is a businessman, Marcella loves pink and purple and Leo loves Blue.

More will appear soon in the picture (they have cats, fish and a bird too) and they will all be flying around the moon, among the stars, surrounded by trees… Come back soon and check the making of! What about you, want your own customized Family Portrait? Write to me, let´s talk about your stories!