Ricardo Penalver (1937-1995) 20th Century American Surrealistic Artist
Am I My Body? Absolutely Not!
Ricardo Penalver
Ricardo Penalver (1937-1995) 20th Century American Artist; Legacy
Ricardo Penalver (1937-1995) 20th Century American Artist; My Most of All Conflicts
Ricardo Penalver (1937-1995) 20th Century American Artist; My Most of All Conflicts
Ricardo Penalver (1937-1995) 20th Century American Surrealistic Artist; dedicated his entire life to art! A self-taught artisit, he was influenced by several of the great master artists who preceded him. He pays homage to these masters which include; Van Gogh, Goya, Picasso, Toulouse-Lautrec and Dali to name a few by adeptly incorporating
Ricardo Penalver (1937-1995) 20th Century American Surrealistic Artist; dedicated his entire life to art! A self-taught artisit, he was influenced by several of the great master artists who preceded him. He pays homage to these masters which include; Van Gogh, Goya, Picasso, Toulouse-Lautrec and Dali to name a few by adeptly incorporating elements reminiscent of their works into his own while establishing and maintaining his own artistic style that is uniquely Penalver.
Born April 4, 1937, in San Antonio, Texas, Ricardo Santana Villanueva Penalver
(Pen-yal-vair) is the quintessential surrealistic artist of his generation.
In the 60s and 70s, social change and activism imbued the collective consciousness of our nation and those ideals were vigorously embraced by millions among its under thirty population. The San Francisco Bay Area was the center of it all and Ricardo was inspired.
He channeled his intelligence and artistic talents toward his painting. He sold his art successfully and commissioned his work. He created artwork, posters and street flyers for musicians like Miles Davis, Cal Tjader, Mongo Santamaria, Malo, Santana, Luis Gasca and for his company; Huracan Productions.
He was anti-war, pro-civil rights and he championed social issues. He supported and marched with Cesar Chavez. He produced signs for the marches and protests. He was honored by the poet Dorinda Morales in her poem "La Niña Lina en East LA" at the opening ceremony in 1976 at the LULAC Foundation in San Francisco - Penalver Power! He was a drug and alcohol counselor, a wise teacher and was a friend and ally to George Moscone, Mayor of San Francisco and California State Senator.
Fate dealt Ricardo a tragic and defining blow in the summer of 1979. On August 11, his life was permanently altered. In a senseless act of violence with devastating consequences, Penalver was shot and robbed while trading and selling gold bullion in San Francisco.
Ironically, the artist who deplored violence while devoting his energies to peace, dance and art was rendered a paraplegic.
By virtue of his tenacity, Ricardo taught himself to paint left-handed while confined to sitting in his wheelchair. With the aid of brush extensions, created by his friend and painting colleague Fernando Durate, he was once again able to paint large works of art.
His catastrophic spinal cord injury altered his reality. No longer able to dance or maintain his previous level of activism, only one channel remained as an outlet for his boundless passion – his art!
Thus began an astounding and prodigious outpouring of remarkable artwork.
Ricardo Penalver (1937-1995) 20th Century American Artist; My Most of All Conflicts
Ricardo Penalver (1937-1995) 20th Century American Artist; My Most of All Conflicts
Ricardo Penalver (1937-1995) 20th Century American Artist; My Most of All Conflicts
Am I My Body?
Absolutely Not!
I've come to realize this
with other facts, realities!
There is more!
Which is why I must alter my
consciousness more and more ...
Which is why I shall, must,
resolve this recent awareness!!!
Hooray!
Ricardo Penalver 1991
Amazingly, because Ricardo Ricardo prevailed as an artist over his disability. As a surrealist
Am I My Body?
Absolutely Not!
I've come to realize this
with other facts, realities!
There is more!
Which is why I must alter my
consciousness more and more ...
Which is why I shall, must,
resolve this recent awareness!!!
Hooray!
Ricardo Penalver 1991
Amazingly, because Ricardo Ricardo prevailed as an artist over his disability. As a surrealistic artist he often reflected on just how surreal his life was and how he reflected it in his art. His masterpiece, Seated Man Dancing gained international exposure when it was selected by Microsoft’s Accessible Technology Group to commemorate the 10th anniversary of ADA, President Clinton’s Digital Divide announcement in Flint, Michigan and the 25th anniversary of IDEA.
Seated Man Dancing was licensed and produced as a Petite Penalver Limited Edition Lithograph holiday gift and circulated worldwide.
Ricardo Penalver (1937-1995) 20th Century American Artist; Owls
Ricardo Penalver (1937-1995) 20th Century American Artist; My Most of All Conflicts
Ricardo Penalver (1937-1995) 20th Century American Artist; Owls
Ricardo Penalver loved his owls and he passionately depicted them throughout his life, As a surrealists he depicted them with feet and wheels in bright colors in urban living. He had a terrific sense of humor and often painted them on skateboards. He created over 80 owls and each one is unique. He honored them in many paintings. He also s
Ricardo Penalver loved his owls and he passionately depicted them throughout his life, As a surrealists he depicted them with feet and wheels in bright colors in urban living. He had a terrific sense of humor and often painted them on skateboards. He created over 80 owls and each one is unique. He honored them in many paintings. He also sketched and drew them using color pencils on small pieces of paper, backs of lottery tickets, envelopes, advertisements and sheets of cardboard, whatever was available to quickly capture their personalities.
As appreciation for the artist Ricardo Penalver's expanded, his owls were selected by the California Governor's Committee for Employment of Disabled Persons and the Governor's Youth with Disabilities Program. The Pen’s Pals 2002 Promotional Calendar, featuring his owls named for positive character traits, was published and distributed to business leaders throughout the state of California. The calendar was promoted on CBS-KPIX-TV with Public Service Announcements.
Ricardo Penalver's unique and unusual owls became the inspiration for Pen’s Pals Soft Sculpted Owls; More than just stuffed toys...They're Art.
Ricardo Penalver (1937-1995); Bio
2026 RA37.art
2024 RicardoPenalver.com
2020 RicardosArt37.pixels.com
2020 Instagram #ricardosart37
2019 RicardosArt37.com
2019 Affordable Fine Art Unique Gifts; RicardosArt37 Gallery Pixels.com
2018 Woolsey Wildfire – 6 major surrealistic artwork Penalver paintings destroyed in fire; Mask, Spring Wizardry, Body of Spheres, Para Tí, Mastery and Magnificent Sphere Power
2006-2009 Owl Pals, Ancillary Merchandise, Illustrations by Luba Gonina, Stop Motion Animation by Ackerman Films
2005 Owl Pals Benefit Children’s Hospital and Regional Medical Center of Seattle
2004 Pen's Pals Soft Sculpted Owls, Toys for Tots, Bellevue
2003-2004 Pen’s Pals Soft Sculpted Owls, More than just stuffed toys … They’reArt!
2002 Pen’s Pals Calendar, California Governor’s Committee for Employment of Disabled Persons
2002 KPIX-TV CBS, San Francisco, Pen’s Pals Public Service Announcements for the California Governor's Committee for Employment of Disabled Persons and the Governor's Youth with Disabilities Program
2001 ABILITY Magazine, Portrait of an Artist
2000 ABILITY Magazine, Thank You to Microsoft
2000 Artemis Gallery, Seattle
2000 Christopher & Dana Reeve, Personal Communique
2000 Microsoft, Holiday Gift; Seated Man Dancing, Petite Penalver, Limited Edition Lithograph
1999 Petite Penalver, lithograph product line is created
1999 alexabrysonart.com
1999 Alexa Bryson Art, LLC, Bellevue; founded by Alexa Bryson and Blanton Simmons
1995 Ricardo passes
1989 Ricardo Penalver - 10 Years Later, Alexa Bryson Gallery, San Anselmo
1979 Ricardo is robbed, shot and paralyzed. He will live the remainder of his life as a paraplegic and teaches himself to paint left-handed
1978 Longtime Friend and Liaison George Moscone, Mayor of San Francisco and California State Senator is assassinated
1978-1979 Multi-Cultural Program Serving the San Francisco Community, Interpreter, San Francisco General Hospital
1976 LULAC Foundation Opening Ceremonies, Poet, Dorinda Morales dedicates La Nina Lina en East LA - Penalver Power for Ricardo Penalver
1976 Artist Studio, LULAC Foundation, San Francisco
1974 PenAlexa Studio, San Francisco, Affordable Art for the World
1974 Miles Davis Poster, Keystone Korner, San Francisco
1973 Captive Arts, Sausalito
1973 Nanny Goat Hill Gallery, San Francisco
1973 KPIX-TV CBS, Solesvida, Marcos Gutierrez, SanFrancisco
1973 Cal Tjader Posters and Handbills, San Francisco
1973 Luis Gasca & Mongo Santamaria Great American Music Hall Poster, San Francisco
1973 Jacaranda Gallery, San Francisco
1972 Captive Arts Gallery, Sausalito
1972 Fiesta Campesina Cesar Chavez Farm Workers Benefit Concert
1972 Huracane Productions, Musical and Art, San Francisco
1972 Fantasy Records - Malo
1972 KEMO-TV, San Francisco
1972 Garfield Park Music Festival, Poster, Art Show, San Francisco
1972 Orphanage Club, San Francisco, Mural, Logo, Posters
1971 KRON-TV NBC, San Francisco
1971 The Chicano Moratorium, East LA
1970 Horizon Project, Treatment Director, City of New York, under the direction of
Mayor John Lindsay
1969 Discharge and Release from Superior Court of the State of California in and for County of Los Angeles under the direction and assistance of Senator Moscone
1966-1969 Synanon - Counselor
1961-1965 Vice Chairman Inmate Council, San Quentin Prison
1960 Meets Senator Moscone
1960-1961 San Quentin, School
1957-1959 Soledad Prison, School; Violation of Section 11500 of the Health and Safety Code; Marijuana
1953 Golden Gloves Welterweight Champion - Texas
1937 Born April 4th
Alexa Bryson; Her Devotion to the Artist Ricardo Penalver
Alexa Bryson is the lifelong partner and companion, authoritative expert and historian, and curator of the art of the quintessential 20th Century American Artist Ricardo Santana Villanueva Penalver. Having met this brilliant artist as an 18 year old ingenue in April 1974, she faithfully devoted herself to his creative genius throughout his lifetime and for more than thirty years since Penalver’s passing in 1995.
Alexa began her relationship with Ricardo in April 1974. On many occasions she modeled for his paintings and she fell in love with Ricardo and his work. Alexa has always been driven and she soon began working as Ricardo’s Agent. In 1975, she secured the commission to produce a custom painting for a major telecommunications company entitled Communication Plant (1975). The two of them continued to move his art forward at every opportunity. In 1976, they opened their art studio in the LULAC Building on Folsom Street in San Francisco. It was there that Alexa and Ricardo established PenAlexa Studio and the dream of Affordable Art for the World. Their dream relied on Ricardo's ability to create a prodigious volume of art and they both worked at their dream diligently.
However, their relationship was altered forever when tragedy befell Ricardo in the summer of 1979. While trading and selling gold bullion in San Francisco on August 11, with the sole purpose of using the money to allow him to ‘sit and paint', the strong physically active spirit who loved to paint and dance was shot, robbed and rendered a paraplegic. He was wheelchair bound for the last 16 years of his life. Paralyzed from the waist down and losing the use of his right hand and training himself to paint left handed, in his prime at age 42, was a devastating catastrophe. It took several years of arduously painful and difficult rehabilitation before Ricardo could regain the artistic mastery he had honed since childhood. Alexa was there for all of those challenges encouraging and caring for her cherished companion buoying his confidence and strengthening his resolve.
In 1984, Ms. Bryson attended CCAC’s Gallery Management Program. Alexa received accolades for her design and her curating talents. She would begin working at several of the finest art galleries and auction houses in San Francisco mastering her skills in design and the selling of art. She continually presented Penalver’s artwork for sale. During those first 10 years of Ricardo’s paralysis his art was not accepted. Being in a wheelchair was an ‘unpleasant experience’ for many in the 80s, a time before the disabled community had been respectfully integrated into our society. The art world was not ready for the brilliance of his art and his documented transition from walking to wheels.
Alexa continually supported her dearest companion encouraging him when he was discouraged, reminding him that he had dedicated himself to art and he needed to continue to paint like many of the masters before him; e.g., Toulouse-Lautrec and Vincent Van Gogh. It has always been her mission to present his brilliant art to the world. “One day the art world will recognize your art.” Determined to showcase Penalver, she established Alexa Bryson Art Gallery in 1989 and celebrated his art with a one man show entitled; Ricardo Penalver - 10 Years Later debuting Seated Man Dancing.
Sadly Penalver passed in July of 1995. Alexa would spend the next several years sorting, organizing and promoting his life work. As fate would have it, in 1997 Alexa met Blanton Simmons. They became a dynamic duo and they fell in love. Blanton was inspired by Penalver's art and wanted to participate in the dream of making him one of the greatest artist of the 20th Century. In 1999, they established Alexa Bryson Art. Together, Alexa as the Art Director/Curator and Photographer, and Blanton in charge of Product Development and Creative Copy, formed alliances with these talented artists; April Wilson, Plush/Soft-Sculpted Toy Designer; Sean West, Musician; Joseph Browning, Artist; Fernando Durate, Artist; Harold Corbin, Web-Designer, and with great anticipation and enthusiasm the first Penalver website was launched. That same year, they created the Petite Penalver product line.
Penalver’s masterpiece, Seated Man Dancing gained international exposure when it was selected by Microsoft’s Accessible Technology Group, in 2000, to commemorate the 10th anniversary of ADA, President Clinton’s Digital Divide announcement in Flint, Michigan and the 25th anniversary of IDEA, because Penalver had prevailed as an artist over his disability. Seated Man Dancing was licensed and produced as a Petite Penalver Limited Edition Lithograph holiday gift and circulated worldwide.
One of the Petite Penalver’s was sent to the Christopher Reeve Paralysis Foundation. Alexa and Blanton were contacted by Dana and Christopher who had received this treasured gift from Microsoft. They expressed an affinity with Seated Man Dancing and how it touched and moved them on a visceral level. They also expressed their sincerest wish to purchase the painting. However, all their resources were spent on Christopher and the care that was necessary for his survival. Ironically, Ricardo had shared with Alexa mere months before his passing that he wanted to call Christopher after the accident that rendered him a quadriplegic. He wanted to reassure Christopher that life exists after paralysis and he could still make positive contributions. Unfortunately, Ricardo passed away before any contact was made. However, amazingly 5 years after Penalver’s passing, his renaissance painting, Seated Man Dancing, which is so much more powerful than a phone call, was presented to Christopher via his foundation, by Microsoft!
ABILITY Magazine also received a Petite Penalver from Microsoft and in 2001 they reproduced Penalver's Seated Man Dancing Petite Penalver in their magazine; ABILITY wishes to thank Microsoft for this thoughtful expression and share the artist's message for all to experience ... The following month ABILITY Magazine would present Ricardo Penalver - Portrait of an Artist to their audience with a 6-page spread about him and photos of his art.
Momentum for Penalver's art continued to expand with the release of the Pen’s Pals 2002 Promotional Calendar featuring Penalver's owls for the California Governor's Committee for Employment of Disabled Persons and the Governor's Youth with Disabilities Program. The calendar was promoted on CBS-KPIX-TV with Public Service Announcements. Penalver's unique and unusual owls became the inspiration for Pen’s Pals Soft Sculpted Owls; More than just stuffed toys...They're Art.
Sadly Blanton passed after a long illness in 2024. Alexa continues to dedicate herself to curating and expanding the collection acquiring early paintings by Penalver. She has focused her energy photographing, preserving his body of work and writing his story. In addition, Ms. Bryson has researched Penalver’s history, designed a new modern website and continues to develop her relationships within her community sharing the story of Penalver and his art whenever she can. Ms. Bryson is available to discuss the purchase of an original Ricardo Penalver.