SmithKlein Gallery Now Showing the Works of Hilario

 

Winter's Chill 33 x 33 Acrylic

SmithKlein Gallery presents the works of Hilario Gutierrez
 
The Artist:

On New Year’s Day in 1994 while traveling, Hilario faced the monolithic stone temples of Monument Valley, Arizona and recognized for the first time his true nature and his calling. Inspired, he returned home two days later and began to paint.  As an Arizona native with a rich ethnic heritage consisting of Aztec and German from his maternal side, and Yaqui Indian and Austrian from his paternal side, Hilario always identified with the spirit of the American Southwest. This unique identity became apparent with his earlier works.

Hilario believes that as an artist, he must be free to explore all directions and as many materials as possible to bring forth his creativity. He believes in order to successfully create a piece of art, he must seek out and interpret all the influences that pass through his conscious and subconscious self. These influences, what he calls the ethereal chaos of his spirit, allow him an endless flow of creativity and give his art authority and truthfulness.

Hilario was drawn to acrylics as his medium, which allowed him to experiment with color and form. He studied the work of master artists, in particular Gerhard Richter and Dan Namingha, to develop and perfect his technique. 

Hilario’s work has been featured in many museum and gallery shows around the country.

Above the Sun 48 x 60 Acrylic

Balanced By Light 30 x 60 Acrylic

Descending Quietly 46 x 48 Acrylic

The Process:


Hilario’s process begins with motivation and awakening. This involves back road trips to remote and wild areas of his beloved Sonoran Desert and the American Southwest. He calls these adventures "Field Studies," and they provide him with tremendous inspiration. His final vision and what he will eventually put to canvas can be based on a fleeting emotion, a flash of insight, past memories or even a dream.

Hilario loves to paint! His passion for creating his art keeps him in the studio five to six days a week. This means there is always something new for fans and collectors to look at and explore. Hilario is continually striving to express himself in new ways, ways that capture the very scenes that resonate with him so deeply.

When Hilario is ready, he chooses a color palette -- the one that will best reflect his vision, and then a composition will begin to take shape. He must select the proper size canvas and consider whether or not the painting will be a stand-alone piece or one that consists of multiple parts.

With all the preliminary details out of the way, Hilario will build a form. He uses wood and hardboard with canvas stretched over it, because he feels that the piece and his easel are one and the same. After stretching the canvas, he preps it, mixes his paint (always acrylic!), and gets to work putting the ideas he has in his head onto the canvas. Ultimately, it is the painting that allows Hilario to convey his experiences and ideas to others, but every step of the process is important.

Once Hilario feels he has captured his vision on the canvas, he is done painting, but not done with the process. He must first remove any prep material-- wires, the form as a frame for hanging etc., and only when everything is squared away does he title and sign his work.


To view more of Hilario's work, visit his page on the SmithKlein Gallery website:
http://smithklein.com/gutierrez.php

The Color of Nothing 72 x 48 Acrylic 

Morning Sun 48 x 48 Acrylic

 

On the Fourth Day 48 x 18 Acrylic

Cold Morning 20 x 16 Acrylic

Gerard Mortier

French-born artist Gerard Mortier will have his new works on display at SmithKlein Gallery throughout the month of May, 2014. Below is some information about the artist:
 

The true Opal Coast as seen in the mind of Gerard Mortier, the great interpreter of light and how it plays on the canvas.

For almost thirty years Mortier's work has been seen and appreciated in New Zealand, Spain, Europe and Colorado.

The relationship between Gerard Mortier and the Opal Coast can be seen in his paintings. Rather than making fleeting moments of his general childhood memories, Gerard Mortier chooses to share his memories of the sea and rocks at Audreselles with the public. Little by little and over the years, his self-taught techniques improved, and he became more precise. By 1970, his first works became known. Right away, the works were successful, not only locally in northern France but beyond.

Gerard's paints and equipment.

Gerard works on his next project

Looking at his work is to experience an aesthetic moment.

Seascapes are what Gerard typically painted in the past.

However, for Gerard Mortier, going forward is a must. It was not in his plans to copy the seascapes of northern France again and again. He felt the need to grow and go beyond. While he admits to having adopted some of the impressionists' styles, he began to move away from impressionism and embrace a more abstract approach. Nevertheless, he never forgets the importance that light as well as contrast play in his paintings. These will remain his main asset as an artist.

More work by Gerard Mortier.

A landscape by Gerard Mortier.

Besides, Gerard Mortier is not limiting himself to a unique source of inspiration. Taking less familiar paths, he becomes fascinated by Paris, Lisbon and other areas. He readily admits wanting to leave behind some old habits, so he can plunge into a different poetic milieu.

In the end, it will be a pleasure for admirers of Gerard Mortier to find scenes of the Bologne area still in his works. It will feel like a breath of fresh air full of maritime smells. The painter promises to always come up with some surprises, surprises we are certain will match the quality of all his past work.

The artist at work.