The Artist's Road Painting the World's Beautiful Places

Artist Profile

Damien Gonzales

Candil                                           8 x 12"                                             Oil

Damien Gonzales embraces science and engineering, using them to understand the southwestern light and landscape as well as the technical aspects of painting the panoramic views of his native New Mexico. Gonzales is largely a self-taught artist, encouraged by family and artist friends, and learning by studying favorite books and magazines. He has participated in many national juried exhibitions and events and was named by Southwest Art Magazine as "An Artist to Watch". He wrote to us about growing up, meeting artists along the way, and immersing himself in the New Mexico light and land.

    "When I was about eleven, I was very lucky to meet Wilson Hurley at a party my parents hosted. He asked if he could see my work which I reluctantly agreed to only because my dad glared at me when he saw I didn’t really want to show anything to a stranger. Wilson looked it over, told me what was good and bad and said to have my parents drive me to his house for a critique when I completed ten paintings. I didn’t know what “critique” meant. Things he said over the years, along with a few pointers and words of wisdom from other artists, helped keep me on track.

Cloudburst                                            7 x 12"                                         Oil

   I’ve always lived in the southwestern United States. Typically in the Southwest the lighting is stark, the atmosphere is thin and clear and desert colors are usually earth tones. In contrast, in lower elevations the atmosphere is more soupy and creates very different effects. I recently painted in Tucson and saw for myself again, after having not visited for many years, that in the low-lying Sonoran desert the distant gray and beige granites and even trees that are the same as those we have in New Mexico, take on a deep rose cast because of the thicker atmosphere. Occasionally I've mistakenly thought artists were over exaggerating some of those colors so it's great to paint in completely new places.

Tseyi Canyon                                                 24 x 36"                                                    Oil

Read more about Damien Gonzales's paintings in our in-depth interview.
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 To see more of Damien Gonzales's work, go to:
http://damiengonzales.com

All artwork © Damien Gonzales

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