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| 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.
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| Above the Sun 48 x 60 Acrylic |
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| Balanced By Light 30 x 60 Acrylic |
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| 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
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| The Color of Nothing 72 x 48 Acrylic |
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| Morning Sun 48 x 48 Acrylic |
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| On the Fourth Day 48 x 18 Acrylic |
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| Cold Morning 20 x 16 Acrylic |
