Today we’d like to introduce you to Angela Navarro.
Hi Angela, thanks for joining us today. We’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
Yes, of course! Hi! My name is Angela Navarro and I am an Abstract painter here in Austin,TX. I have always had an emotional reaction to color and a keen eye for spatial organization, which manifested on an interest in art, architecture and design. Rather than drawing or painting, my early work was mostly collages that I built from discarded Sunday magazines I collected from my parents.
Only when I went to college to study Fine Art at the Facultad de Bellas Artes de San Carlos (in Valencia, Spain) I started to really develop a taste for painting. More specifically I started to get into portraits. Rather than focusing on the immediate realistic semblance, I became very interested in capturing the essence and the demeanor of the subject. That, and constantly veering for the less conventional color combinations. Lots of green, blue, yellow and orange faces.
So fast-forward to now, and I have moved one step beyond. As my paintings have become purely abstract, capturing the essence of the subject takes front stage. In recent years, I have developed what you could call a shorthand or a painting language that I use to describe on the canvas the subject at hand.
I create textures, juxtapositions of color, lines and patterns that come together to represent scenes, landscapes and people.
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
The hardest part was to take the leap and trust myself. I have been lucky enough to reach a point in my life where I could just paint with total abandonment and paint what I wanted to paint and not paint what I thought I had to paint. It has been a process of balancing confidence with a healthy critical eye.
Every step is part of the learning process.
Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
When it comes to my practice, I am currently dedicated to residential and commercial interior design pieces. I research my color palettes and work on specific color combinations. My paintings are expressive by nature and built around relatable storylines and anecdotes. Without the story behind the textures and the marks, the paintings would not be able to take shape.
Although abstract, I see my paintings as portraits, maps and landscapes.
The paintings are built with interlaced layers of textures and colors that create the story inside the painting. Looking at each painting takes the viewer on a journey of discovery of its story and the emotions that inspired the work.
Alright, so to wrap up, is there anything else you’d like to share with us?
Yes! I would like to invite everyone to come to Open Canopy every first Saturday of the month.
For those not familiar, Canopy is community of Artist’s studios, galleries and other creative business (and a café!) located in what it was an old warehouse in East Austin.
Every first Saturday of the month between 1 and 4pm, we have an open doors event where we welcome you into our studios for a look into the creative process.
You will find this event to have a relaxed atmosphere and to be a great opportunity to chat with the artists about their work if you are inclined to do so. Otherwise, just walking around and sipping up the vibe is fun enough.
Come visit!
Pricing:
- $900 – $3000
Contact Info:
- Email: angelanavarroart@gmail.com
- Website: www.angelanavarroart.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/angelanavarroart/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AngelaNavarroArt
- Other: https://www.etsy.com/shop/AngelaNavarroArt
Image Credits
The photo of Angela Navarro painting at her studio was provided by https://www.thevisualbrain.com/ from “The Quest for Zest” mini-documentary series in YouTube.
