To be an artist

Cool, calm and collective, those were my first thoughts when I first laid eyes on David Le Betard. He strolled into the restaurant wearing a sleeveless shirt and shorts covered in paint. Preparing for my inquisitive but prying questions he orders an ice coffee and sparkling water, slumps comfortably in the chair and waits for me to fire away.  His easy smile, inquisitive eyes and sense of humor made it an incredibly easy and pleasurable conversation; he held nothing back as he painted a picture of his life, providing me a window to look through, revealing some of his triumphs along with disappointments. Clearly this artist’s personality hasn’t been tainted by the luxuries of success, but has provided a life that is rich in experience and gratitude.

David has been painting all his life, being a son of Catholic Cuban immigrants he was always encouraged to follow his dreams, the ability to choose his career was of great importance. Keeping this in mind his talent has never been taken for granted; through all the ups and downs the support of his family and sheer determination has brought him down the road to success. He stresses the importance of always being open to learn new things, whether it’s learning a different type of brush or technique, he knows that it is extremely important to be able to acquire more knowledge, and that he is never too good to learn something new.

Though David recognizes his talent, and he has constantly reached for improvement and perfection he has not forgotten his spirituality, he recognizes that none of this could be possible without a helping spiritual hand throughout his entire life. Though he has a strong catholic background he also gravitates towards the Buddhism way of life. He has learned that meditation is a wonderful way to keep his life balanced, and that having compassion for others is what makes life tolerable, this has helped make his life very much fulfilled. To honor this he is preparing for a trip to Spain this fall, he will walk the pilgrimage, dedicating thirty days of his life in northern Spain, to find spiritual enlightenment,  this will no doubt reach deep into his soul and strengthen his spirituality.

Seemingly effortlessly he keeps a good balance between work, play and spirituality. Now the Miami artist is making his way back to Hollywood Florida. He is determined to turn boring, plain, blight Hollywood into a bright, outspoken, colorful masterpiece for all to see and talk about for many years to come. Our own newly formed mural-review committee has seen and appreciated the talent that David possesses, and is delighted to have him paint Hollywood circle. David is not a stranger to giving back to the community and has agreed to head off the project free of charge, so that everyone can enjoy and appreciate his art.

Due to cuts in our education system many art classes have been completely cut form the curriculum, without these classes our natural born artists may be falling to the wayside unable to express themselves in the way that benefits them most. The Boys and Girls Club understands that every child has a different talent, and should be encouraged to express it. The Club appreciates the importance of art and the many other expressive classes will develop the entrepreneurs of the future. In light of this they have asked David, who happily obliged, to help out in educating and motivating the children to express their talent, opening up a whole new way of expressing themselves.

Looking at David’s life it seems he has it all, the success, the fame and the spirituality, but there is still one important puzzle piece missing in his life, a companion. He’s been around the world but still hasn’t quite found his perfect match. As his work sets sail, it will be more demanding in the near future, intensifying to new heights, but he has not lost hope in finding someone to share his life with, knowing someone will fall into his world when he least expects it. Until then though, he will concentrate on what he does best, being an artist.