RAUDIEL SANUDO

Hi Raudiel, your taste in painting is influenced by Mexican culture. Innit?


Yes it is, Mexican culture offers endless themes and beautiful bright colors, Lucha Libre, Witchcraft, Santeria, Street vendors, Skulls, Flea markets just to name a few.


Usually you use acrylic to paint. What does it mean to you?


I like acrylics because they require little time to dry, although it is difficult to create a blending effect with them. I think I will start experimenting with oils soon.




What’s the message in your works? Is there a kind of fil rouge connected with the modern society issue?


The nature theme came while I was living in the woods of Wisconsin (U.S.A). Being there modified my paintings. While contemplating how we have managed to destroy animals and plants little by little the thought came to me "what if nature could extinguish us." Which can happen any moment with hurricanes, earthquakes; which we are seeing a lot of these days.





Tell me about Bird Lover paint and shoes that you customized for Inked Souls Show at ArtWhino Gallery ’09.


The painting/shoes are based on a native American girl who is in love with birds even though they are constantly trying to steal her earrings and necklaces to decorate their nests with. She admires their colors and how they fly, how they take care of each other.







Are you used to paint on paper? I’ve seen a picture of you painting a beautiful woman which I supposed to be your wife.


Yes she is my wife, she is my greatest inspiration and support. She is an amazing woman. I like painting on paper, I like a smooth surface. I've painted on wood but I would say paper is definitely my favorite.






What about mini pinturas series? Where do you sell them?


The mini paintings were sold at a Christmas Bazaar that took place here in Tijuana December 2008. They measured 3x3 inch aprox. My daughters were the models featured on that series.





Among your works there’s a graphic on a skateboard. Do you customize skateboards or it was just for fun?




The skateboard was for a charity event held in Los Angeles, CA. Many artist were invited to paint a deck that was later auctioned off and all proceeds went to this wonderful organization wich you can read about more here : www.stoked.org
I was told my piece was the one with the highest bid
It was an honor for me, really.








As for the previous question but not only, usually in your paintings appear characters with masks. As if they were fighters. What does the mask stands for?


Masks are a part of the Lucha Libre culture in Mexico.
On the deck painting "Mex-Games" I painted masks on the acrobat children because in life, these kids usually hide their faces with make up or different masks when working at stoplights to keep cops from recognizing them. They don't want to be taken to shelters where too often they are worse off, in these shelters they run risks of being abused by the older kids and/or the guards.
In the case of "El Guadalupano" he is a luchador (wrestler) who in the pst was a 'Cholo'. Because of all the sorrow and worries he brought upon his mother, she passes away. Now he repents and leaves behind his crimes and wicked ways, he converts and is now devoted to La Virgen de Guadalupe.





I guess your philosophy is strongly linked with the importance of nature and animals.
You paint a lot of flowers as human. And human as subjected to nature’s will.


Flowers are one of the most representative elements in nature, they are nature's most popular gift among people. All of a sudden I got the idea of a giant rose with a huge human bouquet. It was a very simple idea at first, but then my wife suggested I put a face on the rose, she said "make it look like a dream". From then on I developed the background which is based on what I could see from my painting table stationed in front of my bedroom window, combined with other elements of my imagination. It was my first detailed painting. From then on my style changed a lot, combining nature along with Mexican culture.






Is there any upcoming show for you?


I will be participating in a group show June 13th, 09. An auction will be held to benefit both artist and "SUSHI A Center for the Urban Arts" in San Diego, CA. www.sushiart.org
Also July 23-26th another group show organized by Mark Murphy (www.murphydesign.com) will be showing during the San Diego Comic Con 2009