Ramiro solo show this year steps forward into a more mystical and hopeful realm. Anchoring the exhibit is a suite of four substantial figurative works, with each painting representing a season of the soul. Although well known for his expert likenesses in portraiture and grand figurative work, Ramiro's distinguishing characteristic is, ironically, his ability to let go of the discreet reality of the eyes when necessary. With this, he infuses his narrative compositions with mystery that allows the paintings to endure the critical test of time.

"Spring" symbolizes the start of a new effort, which is made despite risk, seen in the hornet, which is hovering around her head. Rather than fear, her face emits hope and positive energy as the figure looks as if this pale waif is going to step out of her pale world. A translucent bubble barely supports her, as she rests a foot on a hint of a step, a top a sand colored world with hints of a warm sunset.

"Summer" rises up out of her cool night waters, with several moons dotting the steamy sky. Woman coming from and creating the source of water is a theme that we have seen for 16 years in Ramiro's work. In this piece however, the moody setting is a perfect foil for his figured direct and arresting gaze which transfixes the viewer.

"Autumn" is a fine figurative work of a dreamscape evoking the coming hibernation. Here, her legs are beautifully rendered out in the light, but the torso of the figure is laying back in the space. She disappears into an abstract painting which is rich and dark with splashes of brilliant autumn colors, like leaves falling.

"Winter" is an indoor painting, unlike the others, depicting a single figure reading a book in front of his studio's book case, packed with art postcards, art history books and jars of pigments. Beautiful spring flowers drift in the foreground, as the reader, lost in her alternative reality through the literature, is thinking the flowers into existence. Ramiro's poetic translation of his winters spent in his studio in Florence is a perfect contrast the plein air landscapes made on the East End and in Italy that finish this show.

Ramiro will exhibit a few selected works this year, as he is busy working on a major series of paintings for next year's show. Most interesting, however, is the groundbreaking dual portrait painted by Ramiro and Sanchez. Both husband and wife had a hand in this piece, one painting the other's likeness, resulting in a breathtaking image of the partnership. Standing together in an elegant pose, emanating an energy of quiet togetherness, the couple captures a visual representation of the vital sense of community between artists. This masterful piece is original on various levels. A rare depiction of a married pair of artists, this painting not only showcases Ramiro and Sanchez as a union, but captures a very 21st century behavior, collaboration. This joint effort demonstrates the deep humility these painters have about themselves in the face of creating art. Through a painting as such, it is clear to see that this new generation of artists relate to the world and to each other with more respect and less ego than many artists of the 20^th century.

Ramiro delivers a solo show that is well worth the four year wait. His perpetually curious intellect turns inward with this most recent work. This exhibition is broad in subject matter, introspective in tone, and deeply connected to his present life. His much heralded precocious painting technique is now maturing. Ramiro's masterful compositional sense remains in full force and this more mature period is still drenched in his many aesthetic influences, whether it's music, classical mythology, 19^th century poetry or contemporary psychology.

Since his first solo show in 2000, Ramiro has developed major themes through allegorical female figures and he has looked closely at male vanity, while also painting interiors, portraits and more recently, plein air landscapes. Currently, in his two major studio interiors "Los Amigos" and "The Windows of My Studio", he now adds the spiritual concept of witnessing life and light. "Los Amigos" marks a departure in that he is drawing on his own personal experience here rather than classical literature or music. While this is a realistic painting of chairs in his studio, they symbolize our friends, who are there to support us, always welcoming even if they are not physically present. The deep red tones evoke a warm friendly feeling. In a subtle nod to magical realism, which has always suffused his work, there is a leaf floating in the foreground. This represents the perennial nature of true friendships, which may lose their leaves in a season, but grow stronger after each year.