By: ISABELLA SANTIAGO
Miami-based artist Alexander Mijares shares his daily itinerary.
Currently pioneering new ground on the Miami art scene, artist Alexander Mijares has a bravery that knows no bounds. His bold thinking is also reflected in his artworks, especially his latest collaboration with Brugal Rum for Art Basel Miami, for which Mijares created 11 hand-painted bottles whose proceeds will be donated to a local charity. From paddle boarding at sunrise to creating bronze sculptures in the evening, color and vibrancy shine through all aspects of Mijares’ life.
6 AM
I wake up and train for about two hours. I usually do some type of outdoor fitness. I either paddle board, box, swim, bike, or run; a lot of everything. All my activities are outside. Sometimes I’ll be out paddle boarding and happen to catch a sunrise and it triggers an idea for a painting.
8 AM
I’m back at the house and ready for my day. I spend time with my son, taking him for a walk, feeding him breakfast, and trying to get him outside for the morning sun. Then, I check on the construction site in South Miami, where I am in the process of building a home. I chose this area to live because I wanted to enjoy nature more and South Miami has that in spades. Plus, it’s filled with young families.
10 AM
During the day you’ll find me at our family’s sheet fabrication business. I’ll squeeze in a lunch around the area, too. Some of my favorite restaurants there are Greenstreet Café and Whisk.
4 PM
My favorite part of the day… as soon as I get home and the garage opens, my son starts screaming for me. I usually take him to the park around this time.
5 PM
Most of my creativity and painting happens in the evening. I try to paint as many days as possible and always something that I’m inspired by. Right now, I am working on a bronze sculpture using found objects that act as a nostalgic trigger for people who played dominoes in the streets of Cuba.
7 PM
I’ll have dinner with my family and go for a 30-minute evening walk with a weighted vest on. I’m usually out there alone, thinking about my life. A lot of my paintings come from that.
8 PM
To wind down after a long day, I get on my phone and spend some time looking at social media. I look at interior design posts for my house or check up on any art-related stories.
9 PM
While I’m in bed, I like to have some type of noise around that doesn’t require a lot of focus. I’ll watch a stand-up comedy show and after ten minutes I’m out cold.