Is your culture very important and do you apply it into your artworks?
I grew up in a mixture of Anglos, Hispanics, and Southwest Native Americans, in a multilingual household and community, in a more rural than urban setting, among people whose skills and education and jobs and hobbies and games and beliefs varied greatly. All of those influenced me enough that I am not sure what my "culture" really is. I spent my free time mostly alone in the mountains and on the deserts and in the river bosques -- very empty spaces with very few people and very few buildings. I would say that my art was influenced more by my environment than by my "culture". Denver, as an environment, has greatly influenced my art.
What different painting techniques do you use?
I do not much use "strokes", instead, I "hammer" the paint on with a brush, or "edge slam" it on with a pallet knife, or "spread" it like plaster. Mostly I mix the paint directly on the canvas.
What different types of media do you use, and which one do you like more?
Acrylic on canvas primarily. Acrylic is good in the studio because it dries quickly, so the colors can be kept pure and bright, and layers can be over-painted very soon. Acrylic is sometimes not so good out doors, especially in the summer, because it dries too quickly.
How has your work in computer programming affected you artworks?
I am not sure that there is any influence one way or the other. It is not a cross-over. One is left brain and the other is right brain. One is free and the other is structured. Both are challenging and both are rewarding.
What made you want to explore Denver?
To be truthful, it was the closest city with a reasonable economic outlook. It has a downtown that is big enough to be "real" but small enough to experience and get to know. And it has cultural resources equivalent to some even larger cities.
What advice do you have for me?
Play with your art. Go for the result, the outcome, the experience. Do a lot of what ever you are trying or wanting to do. Make variations. Experiment. Express yourself. Use your emotions and your spontaneity. Cover the canvas - meaning, get some paint all over it and then work from there. Don't worry too much about "perfection" or "technique" or "criticism". (There is, however, one good rule: don't "muddy" your paint.) Sooner or later "YOU" will come out in your art. When that happens, you will know it.
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