Erico Ortiz: January 2013

Friday, January 11, 2013

Risk-Taking...

The biggest risks we take are those of living and dying. Both appear to be one and the same. We emerge from the womb and face the challenges that deter us and yet help us become stronger. The theme of Village Church's Gallery Night/Day exhibit (Jan 18-19) was "A Celebration of Truth Tellers and Risk Takers." That theme inspired this piece. -Erico

"Ultimate Risk" (acrylic on canvas, 16x20") Jan 10, 2013

Wednesday, January 9, 2013

Scales...

Is it music that fills my head? Is it the sound of sirens or the sounds of children playing on the sidewalk? Is it the ringing in my ears? Scales is the only title I could connect to this piece. Purchased by a former student and friend, this piece will one day adorn her home in Japan. -Erico

"Scales" (acrylic on canvas, 24x30") Jan 8, 2013

Floristas...

On Monday (Jan 7), I had the pleasure of meeting a great photographer, Jeannee Sacket. (http://www.jeanneesacken.com/home/about.html). Jeannee and I will be sharing space at The Village Church during Milwaukee's Gallery Night/Day, January 18 & 19. Her work is a wondrous display of photographs she has taken of women from indigenous tribes in Central America. Their stories are heart-wrenching, but filled with hope. They challenged me. They moved me. They inspired me to paint the following piece. -Erico

"Floristas" (acrylic on canvas, 16x20") Jan 8, 2013

Saturday, January 5, 2013

Fitting In...

How do we make it happen? How do we learn to adapt to the environment, the culture, the expectations? Do we follow the rules and norms of societal demands? Do we claw away at those demands that challenge our natural state of being? Or do we fall in line because it's what we are expected to do? How do we learn to simply fit in? -Erico

"Fitting In" (acrylic on canvas, 24x36") Jan 4, 2013

Family...

I've been thinking about families lately, particularly about my family. Coming from a very large family, it's quite surprising to see how life's changes have caused a lot of separation, both physical and emotional. I suppose it's a fact of life. People grow apart. Families grow into their own. Siblings create their own families, pulling away from the one in which they were raised. This is for my family, all of you, regardless of distance. -Erico

"Family" (acrylic on canvas, 16x20") Dec 2012

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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