ALVARO CASTAGNET "Painting is the great passion of my life.  When I paint, my goal is not just to produce beautiful pictures, I try to communicate my feelings through them.  Although I search for mood, balance, the sensation of light, rich colors and to lay down tonal values in full, bold strokes, to me, painting is not a representation of a scene, it is a visual communication; it is a way of expressing and transmitting my thoughts, feelings, and reactions.  A painting that satisfies me conveys vision, captures atmosphere, mood, creates rhythm of movement and achieves perfect unity."