Meet Andrew Cortez

We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Andrew Cortez a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Andrew, thank you so much for making time for us today. We can’t wait to dive into your story and the lessons you’ve learned along the way, but maybe we can start with something foundational to your success. How have you gone about developing your ability to communicate effectively?

I developed my ability to communicate through my work by focusing on what is important or interesting in the subject that I want to show to the viewer. Color changes in the sky, silhouette of mountains, subtle details in the shadows of a portrait, or even a strong mark that describes the shape of a tree. This is probably considered a focal point, but to communicate effectively to the viewer I need make the composition effective in leading the eye around the picture plane and towards the focal point. Really its about focused practice, and research. We all have a visual memory bank where we store pictures, artwork, compositions, etc., that we pull from consciously or subconsciously as a reference for our work. Not using these images directly but as inspiration to effectively describe the point of a finger for instance.

Another way to develop good communicative skills is to teach, or demonstrate by saying out loud the steps of your process as you are drawing/painting. It helps me to do this even on my own because if I can verbally hear what I’m trying to do it reinforces my ideas onto the canvas. Hopefully I communicated these thoughts effectively.

Thanks, so before we move on maybe you can share a bit more about yourself?

Hello, I am Andrew Cortez, Southern Californian fine artist and instructor at Orange County School of the Arts and Catalyst Studio. I have been a professional artist for over ten years and instructor for eight. I have been a juror and demonstrator at many art clubs including: Huntington Beach Art League, Tustin Art League and more. My current focus is plein air painting in gouache, however, I paint and draw portraits in oil or charcoal, animate, and work very small to large pieces. Right now, I am most excited about opening my own studio in Anaheim, California where I will hold art classes, workshops, events and have a larger space to work. Hopefully, by the time you’re reading this the studio will be open and you can find it on my website/instagram.

Looking back, what do you think were the three qualities, skills, or areas of knowledge that were most impactful in your journey? What advice do you have for folks who are early in their journey in terms of how they can best develop or improve on these?

Three qualities or skills I found to be most impactful in my career are: being kind, listening, and advocate for yourself.

Be kind. It’s simple, it’s easy. Treat others well and it will come back to you. This sometimes is easier said than done, but its a muscle that can be worked. Also, for us shy, introverted types, our shyness can be seen as rude. This is something I know well and have worked on. It’s not about changing to extroversion to be seen in a positive light but being courteous and polite.

Listening is an essential tool to growing in general. More specifically in art, listen to how others react or interpret art. If you’re trying to connect with your audience through your work, and they look confused or they barely glance at it, then your work is not communicating correctly. Ask others what they think. It can be hard to hear blunt criticism but it helps to see your work from a different perspective. Obviously, art is subjective and its your way of expressing yourself, so take what you will from critiques or don’t. Afterward, be kind.

Advocate for yourself. Sometimes I feel like I post too much on Instagram. However, I was reminded that I have to promote myself because nobody else will if they never see your work. You are your biggest promoter. No one would know your work if you didn’t show it in the first place. Put your work out there, because no one else will as much as you can.

What’s been one of your main areas of growth this year?

One of the biggest areas of growth this year has been building connections with other artists. I had joined SOCALPAPA (Southern California Plein Air Painters Association) last year and met many great artists and connections, all of which has helped me develop as an artist and business. During art events, workshops or casual meet ups, I’ve met promoters that recommend me to join other events or art clubs. The more connections you make, the more opportunities present themselves.

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