Beyond the Sister Cities

Acrylic by Samuel Fernández Armas
**NOT FOR SALE**

Avilés-based artist Samuel Fernández Armas graduated from the Higher School of Art of the Principality of Asturias, where he studied art conservation and restoration. He works as a copyist at the Fine Arts Museum of Asturias and teaches art classes to emerging and professional artists.

Samuel brings the subject matter to life in his work by searching for and representing its light. He is a distinguished portraitist and plein air painter whose work appears at art fairs internationally.

During the St. Augustine delegation’s visit to Avilés, Samuel showed Martha the town’s most emblematic places and explained their importance. “She also told me places to paint during my visit to St. Augustine.”

“My idea for this painting was to represent the two cities using historical characters, natural landscapes, and significant monuments.” Portraits of Pedro Menéndez and Henry Morrison Flagler surround the Constitution Monument. In the background, the viewer sees the remarkable structures that speak to St. Augustine’s history and make up the iconic skyline: the Castillo de San Marcos National Monument (completed in 1695), the St. Augustine Lighthouse (1871), Henry Flagler’s Hotel Ponce de Leon (1888, now known as Flagler College) and the Bridge of Lions (1927).

Samuel described his experience with a quote on the back of the painting: “Only dreams that you love come true.”

Artwork purchased online can be picked up AFTER the exhibit ends on November 1, 2024 from the St. Johns County Administration Building (located at 500 San Sebastián View, St. Augustine, FL 32084).