Antonio just celebrated his 85th birthday on December 26th, the feast of Saint Stephen. (His middle name is also Stephen.) This past year Josr Antonio was honoured by the King of Spain, Felipe VI, and was awarded the Order of Civil Merit at the Commander level for what he has done throughout his lifetime in promoting Spanish culture in Canada.
(The medal is the neckpiece. On his lapel he is wearing his Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee medal.) He keeps busy painting and today I have added a small somewhat abstract and very lovely new painting in the bridge series, Pasarela.


José Antonio Valverde-Alcalde is an internationally renowned artist who makes his home in the seaside village of Chester, Nova Scotia, Canada. He specializes in original paintings on paper and on canvas as well as limited edition fine art prints using the Iris Giclée process.

Born and raised in Spain, he moved to Canada in the 1960's, settling in Nova Scotia in 1971. His work is vibrant and warm, incorporating a Mediterranean aesthetic of colour into a variety of subjects. An intuitive colourist, Valverde creates exuberant Nova Scotian seascapes, along with vivid floral arrangements and jewel-like landscapes and interiors.

José studied at the universities of Zaragoza (Spain). Cambridge (England) and Alberta (Canada) and took workshop and studio courses in fine art in France, England and Canada. He has exhibited widely in England, Canada, the United States and Spain.