Wednesday, February 19, 2014

Alejandro Castanon Studio Visit Visual Language Magazine


Alejandro is a Mexican born national raised overseas in Spain and Germany. He began his journey into art at the age of nine by sketching comic book covers of Spiderman and other favorite super heroes. In his teens his art became more focused on portraits and he mainly worked in graphite and charcoal. After an eight-year tour in the U.S Air Force as a Civil Engineer he came to call San Angelo, TX his home to help raise his daughter and opened the Vino Dipinte Art Gallery in 2011. Coming back to art was a reawakening for him back to a passion that had been set-aside for several years. Invigorated by the mounds of talent around him Alejandro picked up a paintbrush and began his self-taught lessons into painting. 

Like all artists that set out on a new medium there were mistakes, but from every painting grew a lesson in tone, perspective, light, and contrast. He found inspiration in artists such as Seren Moran, Sarah Stieber, Evelyn Boren, and Leroy Nieman. His style became fixated on the use of color to enhance and compliment his subject matter. Any beginning artist can agree that jumping into the world of colors on canvas or any material is intimidating; there was a challenge and a world of colors that was waiting for him. In 2013 he held his first solo show, aptly named the Colorem Art Show, which featured over 20 large paintings of pop culture icons.  

For Alejandro painting has changed how he views the world around him. A building is not merely a structure but a combination of lines, shapes, and colors. His mind is his canvas and colors are the voice he gives his artwork. Each work must not only be an accurate depiction of his subject but also an energetic and playful demonstration of his paintbrush. His style requires accuracy but also requires a fast pace that frees the painting; lines and marks are spontaneous.


 As the owner of the Vino Dipinte Art Gallery Alejandro has made art his career and handles all aspects of managing his gallery most notably marketing. He has created and managed the gallery’s website, and social media pages as well as coordinated and promoted three major art shows in the past two years. Along side him is Crystal Goodman, a nationally renowned Muralist and mentor. Crystal is the Creative Director of the Vino Dipinte Art Gallery and provides the much needed constructive criticism a young artist needs to hear from time to time.

According to Alejandro, “the art world has evolved in the last five years and more people are connected to art now than ever before but artists are barely learning how to use that connection”.  Alejandro also serves as a City Art Commissioner in San Angelo and has helped coordinate many community events centered on art. “The typical artist relies on his or her ambiguity, and their art is what speaks for them but he or she must join the conversation in order to gain the best knowledge about their fans and potential clients”, he has also conducted Art Marketing Seminars in order to give artists the tools they need to succeed in the evolving art world. San Angelo is a small community with artist in every medium busting at the seams. “The town of San Angelo has a tight community of artists and supporters that are ready and willing to help, it has been a blessing to begin my art career in such an amazing city”. Private collectors as well as the City of San Angelo have commissioned Alejandro for paintings.

His art can been seen at local bars and restaurants across the city as well as his website 

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