Tell me about yourself...
I’m a 25-year-old artist living in Cincinnati, OH. I’m happily married to artist and housewife Jessica Minor. We have a two-year-old daughter named Tess and another baby on the way due in May of 2011. I was born in Tampico, Tamaulipas Mexico and my family moved to Baytown, TX when I was 11 years old. After high school, I decided to attend the Art Academy of Cincinnati, and after graduation I landed a very cool job at a toy development company called Sculcpo.
What subjects, topics, or messages do you like to express in your work? Most
Most of the work I do is about beauty. Some of my work expresses a hidden message that I keep to myself. Some of it is usually very personal and I don’t like to be open about it, but I feel that it allows the viewer to see it in his/her own way.
What/who inspired your latest work of art?
Most of the work I do is inspired by events or people I see every day, whether it’s my wife reading a book, or a scenery I see on my way to a friend’s house.
If you could learn any talent or skill, what would it be? Why?
I’m grateful for the skills I’ve acquired, but I’m always looking for ways to improve my abilities so that I wont be limited to what I can do.
What are your favorite websites to visit for art related content?
I think Art Renewal Center has a lot of great art. It’s probably the one website I visit the most to look at old and contemporary art.
What other passions do you have outside of your work?
I love gardening as much as I love making art. A good summer day consists of making art and gardening with my family.
If you were to offer a piece of advice to an aspiring artist on how to succeed, what would you say?
I would say that it’s not an easy path; it takes a great deal of commitment and discipline. I think that it’s almost impossible to be successful in the art world without those two qualities.
How did you get to be an artist? Was there a particular artist or experience that made you want to pursue art?
I enjoyed drawing from a young age. My two older brothers were very good at it and I wanted to be as good, but it really wasn’t until 6th grade that I started taking it seriously. When I was 11 years old, my father got transferred to Houston, TX from Mexico to be the pastor of a new church. I started school at Horace Mann Junior High, and my art teacher saw potential in me to become an artist. She encouraged me to accept more advanced assignments to improve my artistic skills and refine my colored pencil techniques.
Are you self-taught or schooled?
I attended the Art Academy of Cincinnati. I graduated in 2008 with a Bachelor’s Degree of Communication Arts with an emphasis in Illustration. I highly value the education and experience I received attending art school, but I consider most of the actual draftsmanship skills I’ve acquired to be self-taught or from the training and example of other local artists and friends here in Cincinnati.
What is your mantra?
Make it your goal to live quietly, do your work, and earn your own living. Then your way of life will win respect from those outside the church, and you won't have to depend on anyone else for what you need.
-1 Thessalonians 4:11-12
What style of art do you work in?
My art takes many forms, and it has changed throughout the years. For about six years, I focused primarily on working with color pencils. I wanted to master the medium before attempting something else. During college, I started using oil paints and it is something that I’m still pursuing as a medium. My full time job is a toy sculptor; I work for a toy development company called Sculpco here in Cincinnati, OH. The work I do there is done in clay, wax and digitally. Most of my time is taken up by my career making toys, but I still make time for drawing and painting.
What projects are you currently working on?
I’ve been working on a fall landscape painting, and once that is finished I’m planning on doing a portrait of my daughter.
What work of art do you wish you had done? Why?
I have never wished to claim anyone else’s art as my own, but I can deeply appreciate and admire the masterful works of the Boston Painters.
What is your work space/environment like?
My home is my studio; I’ll set up in different places of my house depending on what I’m working on. If I’m working from observation, I usually set up in our guest bedroom, but if I’m working on a sculpture or a drawing from a photograph, I’ll set up in the living room so I can spend time with my family while I’m working. I don’t require silence or isolation to work. I usually work with music or a movie on the background.
What is your process when you sit down to work?
I always make sure that I have everything I’ll need before I sit down. Once I have everything I’ll need, I’ll turn on the TV or play some music. My process depends on the medium I’m working with, but whether it’s a drawing, painting or sculpture, it always begins with a sketch.