Carmen Nery De La Paz is an American television personality, interior/exterior designer, wood turner, welder, and professional cook. She is best known for her work on
HGTVHGTV , is a cable-television network operating in the United States and Canada, broadcasting a variety of home and garden improvement, maintenance, renovation, craft and remodeling shows...
’s Hammer Heads, Design Star and All American Handyman. De La Paz is a brand ambassador for Minnesota-based manufacturing company,
3M3M Company , formerly known as the Minnesota Mining and Manufacturing Company, is an American multinational conglomerate corporation based in Maplewood, Minnesota, United States....
.
PERSONAL LIFE
De La Paz was born in San Juan, Puerto RicoSan Juan , officially Municipio de la Ciudad Capital San Juan Bautista , is the capital and most populous municipality in Puerto Rico, an unincorporated territory of the United States. As of the 2010 census, it had a population of 395,326 making it the 46th-largest city under the jurisdiction of...
and raised in Waukesha, WisconsinWaukesha is a city in and the county seat of Waukesha County, Wisconsin, in the Upper Midwest region of the United States. The population was 70,718 at the 2010 census, making it the largest community in the county and 7th largest in the state. The city is located adjacent to the Town of Waukesha...
. De La Paz started playing the violin at age 7, singing and dancing by the age of 8 and playing the guitar by 9. As a teen, De La Paz was a member of “The Kids from Wisconsin,” music ambassadors from WisconsinWisconsin is a U.S. state located in the north-central United States and is part of the Midwest. It is bordered by Minnesota to the west, Iowa to the southwest, Illinois to the south, Lake Michigan to the east, Michigan to the northeast, and Lake Superior to the north. Wisconsin's capital is...
that traveled the country, performing over 80 live shows in the course of a summer. De La Paz attended Syracuse UniversitySyracuse University is a private research university located in Syracuse, New York, United States. Its roots can be traced back to Genesee Wesleyan Seminary, founded by the Methodist Episcopal Church in 1832, which also later founded Genesee College...
, where she graduated with a BFA in Music Theatre. She also studied Broadcast Journalism though the UCLA Certificate program.
Television
De La Paz is most recognized for her carpentry and design skills featured on six seasons of
HGTVHGTV , is a cable-television network operating in the United States and Canada, broadcasting a variety of home and garden improvement, maintenance, renovation, craft and remodeling shows...
’s makeover series Hammer Heads, with fellow carpenters Steve Hanneman and Marcus Hunts. In each episode, they introduce homeowners to power tools, new building materials and creative designs. Her role in Hammer Heads led to her nominations for the 2011 & 2010 Imagen Award for Best Reality Show.
De La Paz also appears on Fox International’s Spanish-language programming and is distributed in 17 countries. She appears in the Spanish language talk show “Hola Martin –Estilo de Vida. ” “Hola Martin...”is taped in Buenos AiresBuenos Aires is the capital and largest city of Argentina, and the second-largest metropolitan area in South America, after São Paulo. It is located on the western shore of the estuary of the Río de la Plata, on the southeastern coast of the South American continent...
and airs on the Spanish language channel UTILISIMA, distributed by FOX International to countries including the U.S., SpainSpain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
, VenezuelaVenezuela , officially called the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela , is a tropical country on the northern coast of South America. It borders Colombia to the west, Guyana to the east, and Brazil to the south...
, MexicoThe United Mexican States , commonly known as Mexico , is a federal constitutional republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of...
, CanadaCanada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
, El SalvadorEl Salvador or simply Salvador is the smallest and the most densely populated country in Central America. The country's capital city and largest city is San Salvador; Santa Ana and San Miguel are also important cultural and commercial centers in the country and in all of Central America...
, ChileChile ,officially the Republic of Chile , is a country in South America occupying a long, narrow coastal strip between the Andes mountains to the east and the Pacific Ocean to the west. It borders Peru to the north, Bolivia to the northeast, Argentina to the east, and the Drake Passage in the far...
, GuatemalaGuatemala is a country in Central America bordered by Mexico to the north and west, the Pacific Ocean to the southwest, Belize to the northeast, the Caribbean to the east, and Honduras and El Salvador to the southeast...
, PeruPeru , officially the Republic of Peru , is a country in western South America. It is bordered on the north by Ecuador and Colombia, on the east by Brazil, on the southeast by Bolivia, on the south by Chile, and on the west by the Pacific Ocean....
, BoliviaBolivia officially known as Plurinational State of Bolivia , is a landlocked country in central South America. It is the poorest country in South America...
and the ColombiaColombia, officially the Republic of Colombia , is a unitary constitutional republic comprising thirty-two departments. The country is located in northwestern South America, bordered to the east by Venezuela and Brazil; to the south by Ecuador and Peru; to the north by the Caribbean Sea; to the...
. The show premiered in fall 2010. In “Hola Martin,” De La Paz teaches viewers crafting and DIY projects focusing on environmentally-friendly and cost effective ways to be creative.
In fall 2011, De La Paz appeared on the HGTVHGTV , is a cable-television network operating in the United States and Canada, broadcasting a variety of home and garden improvement, maintenance, renovation, craft and remodeling shows...
show Design Star. De La Paz was also a guest judge on an episode of All American Handyman in the fall of 2010.
For two seasons, HGTVHGTV , is a cable-television network operating in the United States and Canada, broadcasting a variety of home and garden improvement, maintenance, renovation, craft and remodeling shows...
’s ShowDown featured De La Paz as the only female carpenter to compete in the show, bringing a female perspective to the combination of home improvement, power tools, design and “do-it-yourself.”
De La Paz acted as co-host to John LithgowJohn Arthur Lithgow is an American actor, musician, and author. Presently, he is involved with a wide range of media projects, including stage, television, film, and radio...
in PaloozavillePaloozaville is an animated/live-action series for children and their parents on the Video On Demand network: Mag Rack.The Mag Rack original series was created exclusiverly for On Demand and stars John Lithgow as Paloozaville's absent-minded mayor. The show is based on Lithgow's best selling...
, based on the book “Palooza,” also written by Lithgow. As “Side Kick” Suza Palooza, De La Paz shared her energy and enthusiasm for teaching by guiding children and parents in the “how-to” children’s show focused on creative learning.
Music & Theater
De La Paz made her Broadway debut at
New York CityNew York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
Lincoln Center’s production of “In the Summer House” starring Dianne Weist,
Liev SchreiberIsaac Liev Schreiber , commonly known as Liev Schreiber, is an American actor, producer, director, and screenwriter. He became known during the late 1990s and early 2000s, having initially appeared in several independent films, and later mainstream Hollywood films, including the Scream trilogy of...
and
Frances ConroyFrances Conroy is an American actress. She is best known for playing Ruth, the matriarch of the Fisher family, on Six Feet Under, which earned her a Golden Globe and a Screen Actors Guild Award.-Early life:...
. De La Paz is a member of Actor’s Equity Association and has performed in national touring companies, as well as regional and professional children’s theatre. A trained musician, De La Paz plays nine instruments and is an alto singer.
Design
De La Paz is the owner of De La Paz Designs, an interior/exterior design studio specializing in creating designs focusing on custom and “one of a kind” creations including decorative finishes and custom made furniture for interior/exterior residential and commercial spaces. De La Paz has designed both residential and commercial spaces in
Los AngelesLos Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
and
New York CityNew York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
, as well as her hometown of Waukesha, WI.
With her experience in the design industry, De La Paz is knowledgeable in techniques ranging from venetian plaster, wood graining and gilding, to stenciling and furniture refinishing. In addition to her experience in decorative textures and finishes, she is a carpenter and mason, working in woodturning, stone, cement/tile and glasswork.
Current Projects
De La Paz launched her own television show – “Be Handy Con Carmen” for Fox International’s new Spanish language channel UTILISIMA! in Fall 2011. With De La Paz as producer and host, the show focuses on home improvement, power tools, design and “do-it-yourself.” Episodes were shot in
Los AngelesLos Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
,
CaliforniaCalifornia is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
. “Be Handy Con Carmen” airs in 17 countries including the U.S.,
CanadaCanada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
, and
MexicoThe United Mexican States , commonly known as Mexico , is a federal constitutional republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of...
and as well as countries in the
CaribbeanThe Caribbean is a crescent-shaped group of islands more than 2,000 miles long separating the Gulf of Mexico and the Caribbean Sea, to the west and south, from the Atlantic Ocean, to the east and north...
and
South AmericaSouth America is a continent situated in the Western Hemisphere, mostly in the Southern Hemisphere, with a relatively small portion in the Northern Hemisphere. The continent is also considered a subcontinent of the Americas. It is bordered on the west by the Pacific Ocean and on the north and east...
.
De La Paz is also currently working on You Can Do It Magazine, an online publication where she simplifies home renovations by breaking them down to the basics. The magazine was launched in Fall 2011.
External links
The source of this article is
wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. The text of this article is licensed under the
GFDL.
