Jose Rafols

Of Catalan and Cuban ancestry, I lived and studied in Barcelona, Spain through the 1960s.  In this “modernista” (i.e, Art Noveau) city, I immersed himself in what would become a life-long love affair with the visual arts by visiting art museums and salons exhibiting the work of local and international painters. At that time, Barcelona’s prominence in the nascent Bauhaus, Noveau and Surrealist movements gave me much inspiration.

I emigrated to the United States and obtained a PhD in Neuroscience at the University of Kansas in 1969. I then began a 48-year long career in neurotrauma and stroke research. I taught neuroscience to medical students at Wayne State University in Detroit, MI.  where I was professor of Anatomy and Neurobiology until my retirement in 2016. With my wife Lori, we currently reside both in Valparaiso, IN and Kiawah Island, SC. I am a member of both Kiawah and Seabrook Island Art Guilds.

During my long scientific career, I published numerous line drawings of brain cells using integrated microscopic, camara lucida and computerized techniques. However only a few years before my retirement, I began to understand the complexities of color, values and light intensity needed in depicting perspective and therefore, successful painting. This process was largely facilitated through my participation in workshops, demos, and critiques in the above Guilds.  My preferred media are oils and acrylics and the subject matter for my paintings is eclectic, ranging from the Low Country flora/fauna and landscapes, as well as an occasional portrait done mostly in naturalistic/impressionistic styles.