January 2018 Highlights Art Carrillo

About the Artist

I’m from East Los Angeles. I grew up in the City of Commerce and went to school in Bell Gardens. In 2011, I received my Bachelor’s degree in graphic design from the Art Institute of California, Hollywood. In graphic design, I got into painting. I am a naturalistic artist who works with acrylic paint.

I love being an artist. Growing up in school, teachers were fond of my passion for art. Whenever there was a class project, I was chosen to draw and paint while everyone else was doing classwork. In 2nd grade, I had the opportunity to draw and paint a lion. The lion was formatted on a large sheet of butcher paper which became the flag to represent our class in the school’s Olympics. My third grade teacher assigned me to draw Voltron characters for her children during class. Who doesn’t want to draw in class? In high school, my freshman art instructor wanted to buy my first class drawing. It was of another student who modeled for us. The drawing was displayed on our classroom wall and unfortunately someone stole it. Later, the student confessed to stealing my work.

After high school, I stopped creating art for about eleven years. I did go back to school, however. I do not work in my discipline: graphic design. I have a manual labor job. However, going to school got me back into painting: my manual labor love. My graphic design work suffered because I spent time learning how to paint. There is no doubt that I use many of the rules of graphic design, like composition, in constructing my work. In 2012, I began exhibiting my art. At Avenue 50 Studio, I had my first solo exhibit in July 2013; as well as curating a group show in August 2016. In addition to Avenue 50 Studio, I exhibited at the Gene Autry National Museum, the Ontario Museum of History and Art, and the Museum Of Latin American Art. I created over twenty 12 x 20 foot backdrops for the entertainment industry. I restored the old chapel of the former Queen of Angels Hospital in Los Angeles. I also had the opportunity to teach elementary students about art. I visit my old high school about twice a year to talk and engage students about being an artist.

A long time ago, when I was not making art, I read an article about Matisse that inspired me. What captured me the most is when they talk about how Matisse was of old age, sick and in bed, but was still creating art. I want to be like that.

Works