At first glance, the art piece will show realism and extreme detail. Taking time to admire the piece, it begins to take on a life of its own. Raw emotion caught in a moment of time, many of the people in the drawings gaze into your soul. Others depict the beauty of indigenous culture and its people.
The artist in question is Pueblo’s own Rick Espinoza. Rick was born in Pueblo and grew up in “The Blocks”. He has been creating since he was able to hold a pencil. Rick was a self taught artist who looked to his older brother, Jim who was also a phenomenal artist, for inspiration. In his own words, Rick describes himself as “a bit colorblind” and “an art instructor’s nightmare.”
Utilizing color pencils (Prismacolor) as his medium, Rick chooses colors that look good to him. Despite not being traditionally trained in using the vast array colors available, he uses a a familiar palette to make his art style unique. Colored pencil itself has not been a popular medium due to its inconsistent coverage and difficulty to color large areas, but again, Rick has taken this challenge to give depth and realism to his art. Other than his older brother’s art, Rick enjoys the early works of Pablo Picasso, Carlos Almarez, and Van Gogh.
When asked what advice he could offer, Rick said, “If I could give any advice to aspiring artists I would sincerely tell them to practice and keep practicing. Love what you do. If you’re not feeling creative at the moment, put your pencil/brush down. Mostly, draw what you see; or what’s in your mind. Let your creativity flow as if you were still a child. There isn’t a right way or a wrong way. I’m an example. I’m self-taught.”
Rick has original artwork on display at the Heritage Fine Arts Gallery in Taos, New Mexico. He also has prints available for purchase at the El Pueblo History Museum in Pueblo, Colorado.
