J.C. Amorrortu is an Art of Austin artist! Get to know more about his work and process!
J.C. Amorrortu
AoA – How long have you been in Austin and how did you find your way here?
J.C. – I have been in austin for 15 years+. I use to vacation here and i would stay with my sister in west campus every Peruvian summer (January-March). The main idea was to come here to visit her and practice my english. My family and I left the country in during a very difficult time in Peru due to corruption, terrorism, etc. I am glad I ended up in Austin as opposed to any part in Texas; the vibe here is great!
AoA – When did you realize that you were an artist?
SJ.C. – Since I was two or so. My parents always encouraged me to pursue art. They would give me crayons and markers to paint on the walls. My sister used to be the only artist in the family and it was her who taught me how to draw and use color (she later pursued a normal life and handed me the artist torch which I have carried with love for decades).
AoA – Can you speak to your art training?
J.C. – I am self taught (have taken some life drawing and painting classes here and there). I copied the old masters in both drawing and painting. I strongly believe an artist benefits from other artists but also makes the most progress by making mistakes in their own artwork. That’s how I learn to blend, and mix colors by making mistakes and destroying so many canvases. ART AS IN LIFE CONSISTS OF TAKING RISKS AND MAKING MISTAKES, THAT’S HOW YOU LEARN THE MOST.
AoA – Where do you derive inspiration from?
J.C. – I draw my inspiration from my own life experiences. I am attracted to the occult and find an incredible source of inspiration by the dark and the paranormal. Since I was little I have always been in touch with the paranormal and i have seen things that have changed me forever. I only trust my own experience.
AoA – Can you tell us about the theme/meaning of your work?
J.C. – My work is full of symbolism that is not always visible at first but if you take the time to analyze a particular work of art you would see symbols in places you would not even imagine. Themes vary from the human experience, death, life, heartbreak, love, pain, pleasure, politics, religion, the universe, darkness, light, entities, evil, good, lucifer, etc.
AoA – Your work is amazingly detail orientated – can you talk a little about your creative/technical processes?
J.C. – I rarely paint something just for the sake of painting it (sometimes you have to just do some technical work to keep your chops up). I think of an idea or concept first and from there it all flows. I get more ideas than i can keep up with. I have notes and books full of concepts for future paintings. I believe the best art is the one who has an idea or concept to communicate. The viewer always will create its own meaning after looking at some art piece, which I think is the beautiful part about art. If you ask me and I like you I would tell you the meaning and my ideas behind my art, however I would rather listen to what the art made you feel.
I draw very faintly on the surface since I don’t like to see lines in my paintings. All my work is done alla prima, meaning in one layer. I do not work in layers. Now I enjoy making paintings that look like paintings; before I wanted to pursue a hyper-realistic approach. I love seeing brush marks on artwork. Brush marks equal a person’s personality.
AoA – Where can we find your work? Do you have any shows planned for the future?
J.C. – Just got done with participating in the bombay Sapphire Artisan Series show on Art on 5th and Art Hop at the Georgetown Art Center. I have a show this October 3,4 and 5 at Cherry Cola Dog (3409 East 5th St Austin TX) from 7pm-11pm or later. Come by and buy original oil paintings for a super affordable price. I will also be selling etchings, prints and drawings. Come on by and support a local artist to continue doing what he loves. Much love to all who support local art and especially to my fellow artist and art fam from Cherry Cola Dog and to Art of Austin.
I offered Archival Giclee prints of my work. Send me an email to: jcamorrortu@gmail.com. I will email you the PDF list with sizes and prices!
AoA – Thank you for speaking with us today, J.C., you are an extremely talented painter and we look forward to watching your rise to proper prominence.
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