Enjoy the incredible portfolio of painter Ricardo Robles, who captures sweeping vistas and small detail with equal skill. See more of his work by visiting his website.
I was born in New York City, in the borough of Manhattan. The neighborhood I was born in is called Washington Heights. It’s most iconic structure is the George Washington Bridge.
It was during this time, during the 80’s decade, that I was first exposed to art. Graffiti art, wild style, was an art form that combined surrealism with vibrant colors. I began drawing when I was seven years old and soon moved on to oil painting when I was fourteen.
I began to experiment in different genres such as portraits, wildlife, landscapes, and still life. My earlier influence in graffiti is evident in my work, as I usually create pop with vibrant color usage.
I spent a lot of years away from New York, living purely in the country and rural areas. I began to witness the beauty of nature and its inhabitants. I’m now a Texas artist.
Other inspirations of mine are the old masters, especially during the romanticism era. Lately I have been painting Southwestern and wildlife art. The preservation of these subjects coincides with romanticism in the sense that artists in that era painted to idealize nature and enlightenment.
I joined the military and was deployed to many parts of Asia, where I fell in love with the culture. I incorporated this into my art unintentionally. During deployments, I had many months to think whether I would ever continue creating art. I’m glad I did, because I gained a new perspective in my visual representation.
I am an indirect oil painter. It takes me four to five layers of painting to achieve my desired outcome. Occasionally I work with soft pastel when I need a break from oil paints and when I want to do smaller color studies of my work to see how it will translate to a much bigger painting.
I’m also into art conservation, researching products that can maximize my paintings longevity and prevent cracking. I’ve been featured in a few publications such as Southwest Art, Central Food Kitchen, San Antonio Vogue, New York Now, and Bell County Gazette that highlight my background, art and the techniques that I use.
My future goals are to accomplish self sufficiency with my art income and fill the world with joy through my art. Whether I am painting a landscape, still life, or wildlife, I want whoever is viewing my art to form their own interpretations or to travel to a different place and point in time when observing my art.
Ricardo Robles invites you to follow both of his Instagram profiles.