Visual Language Magazine Contemporary Fine Art March 2014 Vol 3 No 3

VL
Studio Visit Alejandro Castanon
Alejandro is a Mexican born national raised overseas in Spain and Germany. He began
his journey into art at the age of nine by sketching comic book covers of Spiderman and
other favorite super heroes. In his teens his art became more focused on portraits and
he mainly worked in graphite and charcoal. After an eight-year tour in the U.S Air Force
as a Civil Engineer he came to call San Angelo, TX his home to help raise his daughter
and opened the Vino Dipinte Art Gallery in 2011. Coming back to art was a reawakening
for him back to a passion that had been set-aside for several years. Invigorated by the
mounds of talent around him Alejandro picked up a paintbrush and began his self-taught
lessons into painting. Like all artists that set out on a new medium there were mistakes,
but from every painting grew a lesson in tone, perspective, light, and contrast. He found
inspiration in artists such as Seren Moran, Sarah Stieber, Evelyn Boren, and Leroy Nieman.
His style became fixated on the use of color to enhance and compliment his subject
matter. Any beginning artist can agree that jumping into the world of colors on canvas or
any material is intimidating; there was a challenge and a world of colors that was waiting
for him. In 2013 he held his first solo show, aptly named the Colorem Art Show, which
featured over 20 large paintings of pop culture icons.
For Alejandro painting has changed how he views the world around him. A building is not
merely a structure but a combination of lines, shapes, and colors. His mind is his canvas
and colors are the voice he gives his artwork. Each work must not only be an accurate
depiction of his subject but also an energetic and playful demonstration of his paintbrush.
His style requires accuracy but also requires a fast pace that frees the painting; lines and
marks are spontaneous.
Color with a Pearl Earring
http://www.alejandrocastanon.com/
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