Bold Strokes.

Brazilian Valter Morais paints a niche for vacationers and corporate art.

EVEN SET AGAINST THE BRIGHT CANVAS of colors in Coral Gables, Florida, the art of Valter Morais stands out like a bright rainbow against a black stormy sky. "You have to find the right mix," he says, melding and matching the colors on his palette and attacking his latest work with bold, sure strokes. "I look for the contrasts."

The Brazilian artist has found them. And it's not just the traditional kind of work--selling his paintings in auctions and at his Coral Gables gallery. He has found a corporate art niche as well, putting together special designs at about $1,500 a pop for companies across the business spectrum, from a multi-colored bull logo for brokerage giant Merrill Lynch to a more staid "V" logo for Brazilian airline VASP to a brightly colored new box for vodka maker Absolut to an ornate awards scroll for Spanish-language network Univision.

Morais' popular art is part of a bigger Latin American niche becoming trendy among tourists and cruise-goers--especially Europeans--making the rounds through South Florida and the nearby Caribbean islands. The work of Morais and other Latin American and Caribbean artists, such as Jamaican Jennifer Markes, appeals to vacationers not only as a memento of their journey, but also as an evocation of a certain bright, carefree mood, according to those who run galleries and auctions for regional hotels and cruise lines.

"A lot of people like to buy art when they travel, especially when you are talking about tourists coming to South Beach." says Adam Max, who handles auctions for Waters & Colors, a gallery on Miami Beach.

Morals' paintings on the walls of Waters & Colors, for example, feature island scenes with languid palm trees, beach scenes with a flying in-line skater and other Miami-esque tropical themes. "Latin Americans, especially South Americans, we like to use bright colors; we like our work to breathe color," Morals says in nearly perfect English, with just a bit of a Brazilian lilt to his voice. "The Europeans, they usually like to use more subdued colors."

Cruise ship art. The only knock that Morais--and some gallery owners--hear against his work is that it echoes too closely the paintings of fellow Brazilian Romero Brito, who emigrated to the United States from the northeastern state of Pernambuco to find fame and fortune with the same emphasis on bright colors and tropical themes. But gallery owners say Morals' work shows a certain quality of movement that differentiates it from Brito's. Also, Morals' style of marrying Picasso-inspired cubism with pop art and scenery gives it a unique feel.

Waters & Colors runs art auctions for major cruise lines such as Carnival and at resorts such as Sandals, Cheeca Lodge and Super Clubs. There appears to be no shortage of potential customers. "The cruise industry keeps growing and growing," Max says.

Indeed, about 3.1 million passengers made their way through world-leading Miami cruise terminals last year, about 5% more than in 1998, according to port statistics. Five of the world's six largest cruise ships call here and Max says auctions prove quite popular with passengers, especially the work of Latin American artists.

The spring-summer collection brochure for Waters & Colors lists 96 pieces of art for an average price of about $400 each painting. Morals is one of the featured artists--his painting of twin dolphins is on the brochure cover--and the prices for his art fall in the same range as the other pieces.

The auctions, corporate commissions and gallery work are helping Morals realize his dream of being a successful artist. The 52-year-old grew up in the city of Sao Jose Dos Campos in Sao Paulo state, the son of an electrician. Unlike many of the other poor youths in Brazil, Morals earned his bachelor's degree from the nearby University of Mogi das Cruzes, where he later taught for several years.

Coast to coast. But making it as an artist in a cash-starved Third World country is no easy task, so Morals made the trip to the United States in 1988. He managed to make a name for himself at shows and exhibits in places like New York City, Kansas City and Las Vegas, but found it easier to make money by moving to South Florida, where his tropical settings attracted a more lucrative market.

Morais now has a following that stretches from New York to Hawaii. He spends his summers in California, marketing and selling his paintings in Los Angeles and, to a lesser extent, in San Diego and San Francisco. His work is internationally known, too: His portrait of Princess Anne hangs in London's Buckingliam Palace.

Through his work, Morals has garnered another type of fame. He donates his paintings to foundations to help raise money for a variety of causes. His

painting "Life with Love" was auctioned for $15,000 at the Center One "Art for AIDS" show a few years ago. Other recipients include the Save the Manatee Foundation, the Children's Cancer Society and the National Multiple Sclerosis Society.

For Morals, the donations fulfill a need to give something back, as well as to replenish his karma, which he dips into for inspiration. He says his art comes from emotions deep inside; he often develops strong feelings for his subjects. "I have to fall in love each time," he says. "It doesn't matter if it's a woman or a dog." Apparently, his buying public feels the same way, so long as it carries the Morais signature.