Erico Ortiz: 2017

Sunday, September 24, 2017

"Angel of Light"... was created as a silent auction donation item for the St. Francis Golf Event, a fundraiser at my parish. It ended up in the home of my good friend, Luz I. Ortiz-Carby.

"Angel of Light" (acyrlic, 16x20") Sep 2017

Wednesday, July 12, 2017

Small Works...

Love Matters (acrylic, 8x10") July 12, 2017

Music Matters (acrylic, 10x8") July 12, 2017

It's always interesting to try to meet a challenge. This is part of the SVA Small Works Project whose finale takes place on July 28 in Sheboygan. Unfortunately, I won't be able to attend this year's event, but hope these pieces find a nice home. -Erico

"Music of the Stars"

Music of the Stars (acrylics on violin)

I love this! For several years now, I've wanted to paint some old, unusable instruments. I finally had some time I could dedicate to geting this done. I am so pleased with the results. This violin was my contribution to the Sheboygan Visual Artists 10th Anniversary Exhibit which opened June 30. I hope to paint more broken down instruments in the future. -Erico

Tuesday, May 23, 2017

Painting Parties....

We have so much fun at our painting parties. Whether we are working with watercolor or acrylics, or creating a mosaic out of broken chips of tile, we always have fun at Inspiration Studios. These are my latest creations at our May Painting Parties.

"Bursting Buds in Sunlight" (acrylic, 16x20") May 2017

"Magritte-Inspired Self-Portrait/The Guitarrist" (acrylic, 16x20") May 2017

Friday, April 28, 2017

Silent Auction Donation...

"Bright Night" (acrylic, 12x24") April 2017

Hopefully this little gem (which surprisingly has generated a ton of interest on social media) will generate a nice donation from an art lover at the yearly fundraising event of La Causa, Inc. -Erico

Friday, March 17, 2017

Florida travels....

"The Whale" (mosaic, 24"x24") for Elias

"Rocky Sunset" (mixed media, 32"x24") for Rosemarie

My sister, Rosemarie, turned 60 on March 8. Her milestone birthday brought me to Sanford, Florida, where I was inspired to create some new art. My niece, Paloma, wanted something with a whale theme for her newborn's bedroom. And she suggested I do a beach scene for my sister. Using some leftover glass tiles and a few other odds and ends, I created the "Rocky Sunset" for the front entrance to Rosemarie's home.

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Biographical Note

Erico Ortiz was born in Cayey, Puerto Rico in 1955. He earned his undergraduate degree at Marquette University (Spanish Education) and a Masters Degree from UW-Milwaukee (Administrative Leadership). Erico taught Spanish for ten years and then became a school administrator, having worked at several Milwaukee Public Schools until retiring in 2011. He has worked with several community theatre companies, both on stage and behind the scenes, something he still enjoys today. He plays guitar and, until June 2019, could be found Sunday mornings directing the Spanish choir at St. Francis of Assisi Catholic Parish in Milwaukee. In 2014, he opened Inspiration Studios, a small art gallery and performance venue in downtown West Allis that he owns and manages. Erico's life is all about the arts!

Artist's Statement

In 1998, a study leave immersed me in art education courses at UW-Milwaukee. While this was not the traditional studio coursework that a budding artist would undertake, I learned the value of critical thinking and problem-solving as they relate to educating students in the arts. After years of rather humble artistic endeavors, my retirement from the Milwaukee Public Schools in 2011 provided the opportunity I needed to explore visual arts as never before. I began to paint! I realized that inspiration was all around me—in people and places, sights and sounds, music and movies.

As part of my creative process, I determine the idea for a project. Then the first challenge is the mixing and blending of colors to achieve a certain effect on a canvas, a challenge I truly enjoy. Sometimes that selection process takes on a life of its own... and I'm forced to abandon my initial intention to give way to a new creative thought. Still honing skills and techniques, I am often thrilled (and sometimes pleasantly surprised!) by the resulting color compositions and the overall product.

What began as a hobby has become a way of viewing the world and expressing my mind’s eye on canvas. If you choose to view these pages, you will see that I am still finding my way.

Erico Ortiz