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About Oscar
"It is not enough to dream being a painter, you must rather paint your dreams." ~Oscar Ortiz
Following is his story.
1970’s…
His childhood memories in Puerto Rico, where he grew up, includes images of him running under a pouring rain to the local convenience store to buy from Don Serafin slices of meat wrapping paper for a cent each. The skinny boned old man would slowly rip one by one, rolled them in a scroll and tied them up with a string. Little Oscar, a rheumatic fever and heart murmur sufferer, would run home drenched but joyful to sketch super heroes cartoons in the few spared dry sheets.
As a youngster, he was requested often by his teachers to get involved in art projects for the school. He would spend hours and hours creating illustrations to be used as teaching aids. The pure joy of creating and making others happy through his paintings and drawings was what satisfied him the most. Nevertheless, the artistic creativity of the promising artist went dormant for almost thirty years…
2000’s…
In the summer of 2000 while walking with his wife downtown Charlotte, North Carolina, they decided to take a peek at a Comic Book Artists convention. As soon as they walked into the building, everything went mute for Oscar but the scratching sound of the pencils against the papers. Hundreds and hundreds of professional artists sketching left to right. He walked slowly through each booth, his heart pounding furiously. Finally, he looked at Wina to say, “I was meant for this. This is what I AM. An artist”. “Then you MUST do this”, was her stern answer. This conversation was talking place in front of the "Art Instruction Schools" booth. Mr. Ballard, a gray hair debonair gentleman, perhaps a mind reader, approached the couple to ask, “Do you draw?” “Well, I do have a couple of sketches at home” Oscar responded. Mr. Ballard and Oscar arranged to meet at his house for an evaluation of his talents. “You can certainly draw, but you’ll benefit to learn illustration techniques through the school.” Wina encouraged him to take them even though he was hesitant about the validity of learning mechanical illustrative techniques. His doubts were unfounded as each month afterwards he could see his draftsmanship abilities getting sharper and sharper.
Soon one of his illustrations made it to the local newspaper followed by a figurative realistic exhibition.
Wina had always been the pivotal hinge in his artistic career. One fine day he recalls clearly that she told him “Honey, I love your pencil drawings… but I’m sick and tired of black and white! I would like to see some colors for a change, you know. We are never going to make a living out of art unless you finally PAINT.”
Oscar had always looked at painting as a sacred terrain only available for the real gifted ones. Not anymore. His wife was right. So painting he did.
From there on Oscar took upon himself to be as educated as possible in fine art and to learn from the real professionals. This entailed visiting working artists in their studios locally and abroad, starting and keeping communication with them through emails and constantly asking technical questions. He supported this self-imposed education with the reading of hundreds of books of different mediums and subscribing to several magazines.
In only two years after actively painting with no academic training through an atelier or personal coaching Oscar was commissioned his first piece.
After that, he knew there was no going back. Several exhibitions and commissions followed that first one, selling more than 10 pieces in less than 6 months, and as the cliché goes, “the rest is history”.
As of today Oscar Ortiz is a well-respected artist that intelligently has carved a niche in the international art market. He has been praised for his mature and controlled tropical color palette. His professional outlook has positioned him as a well-sought artist that works on a one on one basis with private collectors and interior decorators.
Oscar Ortiz had finally become what he was meant to be: a distinguished Latin American fine artist.
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Oscar Ortiz nace en el ano 1964 en Manhattan, Nueva York. A los cinco anos de edad su familia se traslada del Bronx, Nueva York a Caguas, Puerto Rico; donde el artista cursa estudios en la Escuela Elemental Abelardo Díaz Morales, Escuela Intermedia Aguayo Aldea y en la Escuela Superior Manuela Toro. Sus estudios universitarios en el campo de la publicidad y la educación física los lleva a cabo en la Universidad Sagrado Corazón en Santurce.
Aunque muestra dotes de su talento creativo desde niño, es en su adultez que su habilidad en el dibujo y la pintura erupcionan dando paso a un vertiginoso ascenso en su carrera artística profesional. El pintor logra establecer en corto tiempo una sólida plataforma de coleccionistas y seguidores amantes de sus creaciones.
El jíbaro es la figura principal que retratan los lienzos en su estudio, representado de diversas maneras, estilos y diferentes medios.
“Para mi el jíbaro es el arquetipo moderno del héroe boricua que tenemos que revivir. Un hombre en esencia lleno de valores bonitos que son necesarios reintegrar en la familia: un hombre serio que cuidaba de su familia, trabajador honrado que con ardua faena se ganaba el sustento, un romántico trovador que a pesar de su corta escuela no se dejaba intimidar y logro desarrollar a punta de oído y pasión la genuina música criolla. Mi afición con esta figura es dual con mi propia persona como hombre de familia que soy. Me regocija trabajar duro en mi vocación con el fin de cuidar de mi propia casa con orgullo creando pinturas que llegan al corazón de la familia puertorriqueña y que son laureadas por la cultura que logran mantener. Al igual que el jíbaro que aprendía a tocar de oído y que con pasión formulo estilos de música autóctonos a la isla, mi educación en la pintura es auto didacta producto de mucho tesón, oficio y taller. Gracias a ese quehacer fervoroso he podido desarrollar mi propio estilo distintivo: una herramienta eficaz para presentar lo que somos dondequiera que me encuentre. Es muy divertido pero a la vez satisfaciente explicar lo que es un jíbaro, un cuatro o una pava a personas que vienen de mundos distintos al de uno. De pronto uno se da cuenta de lo mucho que se ama todo lo que uno es y representa.”
Aunado a este repertorio, entre sus cuadros se encuentran otras figuras de índole mas universal pero siempre en el ámbito representativo de la figura humana como eje de su mensaje.
“El ser humano es la creación mas bella de Dios. Siempre tuve fascinación con la figura humana. Disfruto en sobremanera de jugar con ella en el canvas y recrearlas a mi modo.”
El artista disfruta de trabajar en diversas superficies como son el lienzo, la madera, papel o lozas de cerámica. A su vez en estas se presentan un sinnúmero de medios, entre ellos: óleo, alkyd, pastel, lápiz de color, carbón, guaché, acuarela, café, tinta y caseína.
Este ultimo, la caseína, aunque muy viejo en existencia; ha ido recobrando popularidad en anos recientes y el artista se encuentra a la cabeza de un puñado de artistas que hacen uso de el. A raíz de esto fue invitado por la revista canadiense “Art Review” para colaborar con una de sus imágenes y dar explicaciones técnicas de su método de brocha seca.
Ano tras ano el grupo de admiradores del arte caribeno de Oscar Ortiz continua aumentado, uniéndose tanto celebridades internacionales como figuras reconocidas del patio.
Isabel Allende, afamada escritora chilena y poseedora de una de sus piezas, expresa que las pinturas del artista son “Absolutamente bellas!” Alfonso Arana, maestro puertorriqueño de la pintura, exclamo de Oscar Ortiz: “Tienes mucho talento. Me recuerdas a mi amigo Pablo (Picasso). Tu futuro en el arte será grande.”
Michael Payne, reconocido decorador de interiores británico y presentador del programa televisivo “Designing for the sexes” de la cadena estadounidense HGTV, dijo “Estoy sumamente impresionado con tus trabajos. Son extremadamente creativos y únicos, y me encanta tu uso de colores”.
Las piezas del artista fusionan el uso económico de líneas con una paleta cromática distintiva por sus contrastes de temperaturas que junto a sus imágenes poéticas despiertan en el observador una sensación de paz y sosiego. Como explico cierta admiradora luego de contemplar sus creaciones: “Tus pinturas me pusieron en un buen estado de animo por el resto del día”.
Aunque en la actualidad el artista reside en una zona rural de Carolina del Norte junto a su esposa Wina y sus dos hijos Nitshell y Oscar-Giovanni, en su estudio se anida un entero universo de alegría caribena y entre brochazos de pinturas se pueden escuchar mazurcas, seises y danzas como trasfondo de música inspiradora. Al ritmo de la música jíbara el artista pinta y sus canvas nos transportan al ayer de nuestras raíces.
Puerto Rico vive en el corazón de Oscar Ortiz y Oscar Ortiz pinta para Puerto Rico.
EXHIBITIONS: Hartz-Witsen Gallery, Charlotte, NC, 2002 Group exhibition
Pura Vidas Gallery, Atlanta, NC, 2004 Group exhibition Talley Green Gallery, Charlotte, NC, 2004 Solo show
Festival LatinoAmericano, Charlotte, NC, 2004 Solo show Queens College, Charlotte, NC, 2004 Group exhibition
Afro American Center, Charlotte, NC, 2004 Group exhibition Charlotte Observer, Charlotte, NC, 2004 Group exhibition
Spirit Square Arts Center, Charlotte, NC, 2004 Group exhibition Levine Museum of the New South, Charlotte, NC, 2005 Group exhibition
Gallery L, Main Library, Charlotte, NC, 2005 Group exhibition
Java Rose Gallery, Charlotte, NC, 2005 Group exhibition Union County Monroe Public Libray, Monroe, NC, 2005 Group Exhibition
Union County West Regional Library, Indian Trail, NC, 2005 Solo Show Festival Latinoamericano, Charlotte, NC, 2005 Solo Show
Hartz-Witsen Gallery, Charlotte, NC, 2006 Group exhibition Union County Monroe Public Libray, Monroe, NC, 2006 Solo Show
Marshville Public Library, Marshville, NC Group Exhibition 2006 Waxhaw Public Library, Waxhaw, NC Solo Show 2006
Eight Legs Gallery ,Waxhaw, NC Group Show 2006 Charlotte Observer, Charlotte, NC Solo Show 2006
Union County Arts Council, Monroe, NC Group Show 2007
Lois Edwards Public Library, Marshville, NC Group Show 2007
Monroe Public Library, Monroe, NC Group Show 2007
Monroe Art Walk, Monroe, NC Group Show 2007
The Alcove Gallery, Monroe, NC Group Show 2008
Waxhaw Public Library, Waxhaw, NC Solo Show 2008
Monroe Art Walk, Monroe, NC Group Show 2008
Art House Gallery, Charlotte, NC Solo Show 2008
The Alcove Gallery, Monroe, NC Solo Show 2008
GALLERIES REPRESENTING THE ARTIST: Angel Soto Gallery, Caguas, Puerto Rico
Artestudio Ocasio Gallery, Caguas, Puerto Rico
PUBLICATIONS:
Creative Loafing, Charlotte, NC, illustration La Noticia, Charlotte, NC, press release
Mi Gente, Charlotte, NC, press release, 2005, 2006 Boricua.com Magazine, NY, press release
Que pasa, Charlotte, NC, press release Art Avenue magazine, Canada, article
The Journal Enquirer, NC, press release 2005, 2006
The Illustrator, feature article and cover 2006
CORPORATE CLIENTS:
2005 Puerto Rican Professional Association of South Florida Business Guide, FL, cover illustration
Fundacion Puertorriquena de Wisconsin y el Equipo Del Projecto de La Danza en Milwaukee, WI, promotional illustration Esmaco Printers, PR, fully illustrated 2005 promotional calendar
Club Lector de Puerto Rico, educational coloring book
Artist Statement:
"My work is happy, colorful and spontaneous. It is strongly defined by the drawing of the subject obviously reflecting my love for draftsmanship. The presence of bold, big figures in bright complimentary colors has become my trademark, even though I do tackle several styles and themes in a random pattern to keep me on my toes. I paint in oil, alkyd, acrylics, casein, gouache, colored pencil and combination. I pick the medium as I judge the piece dictates. Usually I start with a sketch inspired by whatever catches my attention, either from the inside or external universe… my daughter playing the clarinet, my son reclining in the sofa while daydreaming, my wife working in the yard, me listening to baroque, salsa, jazz or swing music or it could be just the plain need to create. I transfer the image into the canvas or paper usually by free hand drawing, this allows me to alter or edit the image as I draw it again. It forces me to practice more, which I love. After this I do an under painting that maps for me values and colors in very light washes. I’ll keep intensifying these washes into more opaque colors that eventually will lead me into a high gear state of mind and from there on is total absorption. I try to keep my palette as simple as possible. I divide it into what I call high and low notes for each of the basic colors and a few neutrals. Usually I like to paint pretty fast before I loose my inspiration, preferably in one session or alla prima. It is not my goal to invent something new or come up with complicated techniques. There’s nothing new under the sun. I’m just me because that’s all I can be. What my art looks like, compare too or falls into what kind of category is for the critics to define. My job is to paint the best that I can and having tons of fun in the process. I hope you enjoy seeing my artwork as much as I enjoy painting them for you."
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, Aug 19 2008, 5:54 PM EDT
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