Miguel Paredes, 44
CEO, PK Graphics -
Pinecrest
 [Photo: Isabella Paredes] |
Active Imagination
Art infuses Miguel Paredes' life, from his work as CEO of PK Graphics, a graphic design and printing company, to his eponymous Paredes Fine Art Gallery, where he displays the graffiti-inspired art that he has been making since growing up in New York City. Shortly after arriving in Miami at 20, Paredes took a studio at the Art Center of South Florida. At his first local showing, he sold every piece. While painting is arguably his primary means of expression, Paredes dabbles in other media: He just produced a limited-edition set of cast fiberglass sculptures as well as a line of collectible toys, featuring the anime flea Pulgha and birds Yoli and Kosue, characters that he created himself.
 Pulgha |
Figures of his imagination: "Pulgha is definitely one of my greatest creations. I always wanted a character that I could call my own and that has the potential to deliver a positive message and at the same time is extremely marketable and mainstream."
Martine Zinn
Corporate relations executive, Craig Zinn Automotive Group -
Hillsboro Beach
 [Photo: Michael Price] |
When Martine Zinn is not at her day job promoting the family's extensive automotive businesses — nine dealerships in south Florida — she's perfecting her passion: Life drawing in charcoal.
"Working on my art puts me in a very Zen place, particularly practicing the art of seeing," says Zinn, who is taking classes at the Boca Museum of Art School. "Drawing enables me to see things very differently. Your hand and the tool you are holding — charcoal, pencil, brush, whatever — touches the paper or canvas, yet at the same time it is touching and connecting with what you are drawing. What inspires me is making that connection."
All about the kids: After studying art in college, Zinn took a job as a teacher. "Children need to be exposed to art in our schools so the right hemisphere of their brains is developed. Our world is incredibly left-brain oriented, with technology, computers, etc. Kids that develop their right brains are better at pretty much everything."
Do not disturb: "My dream scenario is being able to work right out of my home with no distractions. It sounds simple, but it's not. I am sure this is why many of my artistic friends have off-site studios."
Jaime Ferreyros, 50
TV writer/producer/director, Telemundo, Univision, HBO Latino -
Key Biscayne
 "Blue Line," an iPhone photo Ferreyros took at Logan Square Subway Station in Chicago.  |
Jaime Ferreyros has been writing, directing and producing for various TV networks and cable channels for 19 years. "I've launched two World Cups for Univision, and I won an Emmy for one of their news campaigns," he says.
Off the clock, Ferreyros has always loved photography but stopped shooting after his camera gear was stolen a few years ago. In 2009, his wife gave him an iPhone, and his penchant for photography was renewed. "A friend of mine was taking crazy good photos, and I asked him, 'How did you get that effect?' He told me they were iPhone pics and that he used an app to get the effects. I was blown away."
Ferreyros started "playing around" with his own iPhone and discovered a new aspect to the art of photography. Today, he takes all photos on his iPhone, using various apps — never a computer — to obtain special effects. He exhibits his artwork, most recently in a solo show at Artspace Miami, and speaks to budding iPhone photographers at Apple stores across the country.
Not the megapixels: "My phone is a 3GS, not an iPhone 4, so it's less megapixels than the newer ones. But it's not the megapixels that matter; it's about what you can do."
Photography-related apps on his iPhone: 70-plus
Image consulting: "I always tell everyone you can be the king of apps as far as editing, but the most important thing is that the image should always tell a story. If you don't have a good photo to start with, you don't have anything."