Alfredo Rodriguez bemoans the loss of personal interaction, a casualty of the evolution of technology—computers, cell phones, and social media—that, while increasing the speed with which people communicate, has put a distance between them. You can’t shake a hand or share a hug while tapping out letters on a keyboard.

So it is that Rodriguez focuses on people interacting with each other, whether it’s an old man reading to his grandchildren, or a young man teaching his siblings how to carve. During the first part of his career, he painted colorful scenes of Native Americans, cowboys, and mountain men, along with an occasional scene from his native Mexico. Today, he is consumed with capturing scenes he describes as more intimate, more important.

Alfredo Rodriguez

Sharing the Light
Oil
40″ x 30″
“’If you have knowledge, let others light their candles in it,’ someone said. I think the title of this painting is self-explanatory. While one child shares the light from his lantern, the old man shares with his great-grandkids the ‘Light of the World,’ one of the many ways Jesus is described in the Bible.”

Alfredo Rodriguez

Lessons With Grandpa
Oil
36″ x 24″
“I really enjoy depicting relationships in my paintings, especially interactions between small children and elder members of the family. This painting reminds me of my grandfather, when he would sit with us on the porch and read stories to us. He loved sharing his knowledge with people, especially the young. It’s sad to see that, in this current electronic world, we seldom see scenes like this anymore.”