Visitors to the West Valley Art Museum in Surprise may be puzzled at the latest exhibit hanging in the Hoover Cultural Center. The exhibit features blank canvases hanging proudly as though the Mona Lisa herself were painted on each.

But this is not a case of overstating minimalism, for these canvases will be covered by the acrylic images of Valley painter Jim Covarrubias as the museum presents Jim Covarrubias: Live, which runs through Oct. 22.

Each image will come to life before an audience. The concept of creating an exhibit live was the result of several conversations between Covarrubias and curator David Tooker.

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"We've both realized the appeal of seeing the magic of art appearing piece by piece as it develops," Covarrubias said. "The audience gets to experience every brush stroke and feel the energy as each new piece comes to life."

One major component necessary for this type of exhibition and performance was the ability to create a finished work of art in a rather short period of time as opposed to the unlimited time an artist is usually afforded when working at home or in a studio. Covarrubias said that working quickly came naturally from his earliest days as an artist.

"I used to complete my pieces so quickly in my art classes that I would then begin painting other students'," Covarrubias said. "My teachers told me that it was a unique talent and they appreciated that I could grasp the design thing so easily, and they never tried to slow me down."

Covarrubias, 55, was born and raised in Kingman. Covarrubias said that as far back as grade school his grandfather would pay him to sketch his grandfather's friends.

After graduating from high school and serving in the armed forces, Covarrubias and some friends decided to backpack around Europe, and again Covarrubias' sketching skills came into play.

"I started doing sketches for money," he said. "We were actually able to eat and move around from country to country for a couple of weeks."

Covarrubias returned to the states and Arizona, where he earned both a bachelor's degree and a master's degree in fine arts at Arizona State University.

Covarrubias has also been able to showcase the artwork of other Latinos and Native Americans through the Movimiento Artistico del Rio Salado (MARS), which he founded in 1978, through Ariztlan, a statewide group of Hispanic artists and writers, and as a writer for Indian Country Today, a weekly newspaper with national distribution.

Covarrubias also hosts a weekly local television show, Valley Arts, in which he introduces local artists and examines their techniques and concepts.

Eight themes have been chosen for the WVAM exhibition. Western, Native American, old Mexico, landscapes, still lifes, religion, jazz and flowers are the subjects.

Covarrubias said that his first painting will feature jazz great Miles Davis. He was scheduled to start this one last week.

"The entire piece should take about an hour," Covarrubias said. "I will practice the major parts at home to prepare for the live performance."

Following the Miles Davis portrait, Covarrubias will paint again Friday and then at 11 a.m. every Thursday, Friday and Saturday through Oct. 22.

The museum hosts an annual fundraiser on Oct. 22 titled the Golden Age of Jazz, and Covarrubias will donate his 16th and final piece, a portrait of Billie Holiday, as an auction item.

The West Valley Art Museum is at 17420 N. Avenue of the Arts, Surprise. Hours are 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Tuesday through Sunday. Admission is $7 for adults and $2 for students, with children 5 and under admitted free. For more information, visit http://www.wvam.org/ or call (623) 972-0635.

For more information about Covarrubias and his performance exhibit, visit http://www.jimcovarrubias-artist.com./