
El Pocillito by Oscar Ortiz

Senora by Oscar Ortiz

Noche de Recuerdos y Limonadas by Oscar Ortiz

Rose in the morning by Oscar Ortiz

Princesita del Campo by Oscar Ortiz

A Serene Summer Night by Oscar Ortiz

Don Q Forever by Oscar Ortiz

Trovando en Las Marias II by Oscar Ortiz

Puerto Rican Camping by Oscar Ortiz

Cafe Fiesta by Oscar Ortiz

Puerto Rico Vibrante by Oscar Ortiz

My Time by Oscar Ortiz

Frutas del Mercado by Oscar Ortiz

Sunflower Boy by Oscar Ortiz

We Are Nature by Oscar Ortiz

Chromantic by Oscar Ortiz

Stop Staring by Oscar Ortiz

pOp by Oscar Ortiz

When I See You Smile by Oscar Ortiz

Zolhe by Oscar Ortiz

Wina by Oscar Ortiz

You Read My Mind by Oscar Ortiz

Marisol Humacao Puerto Rico 1970 by Oscar Ortiz

El vuelo dulce de mis notas tristes by Oscar Ortiz
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OSCAR ORTIZ::
b. 1964. Manhattan, NY, USA
EXHIBITIONS::
Dowd Theater, Group Show, Art Walk, Monroe, NC 2023
El Barrio's Artspace PS109, NY, NY, Group Show "Seeing Voices de Visiones Boricuas" 2021
Marshville Museum and Cultural Center, NC Solo Show 2017
Mint Museum, Charlotte, NC Group Show 2013
Monroe Art Walk, Monroe, NC Group Show 2012
Museum of Art, University of North Carolina, Durham, NC Group Show 2012
Monroe Art Walk, Monroe, NC Group Show 2010
The Alcove Gallery, Monroe, NC Solo Show 2009
Monroe Art Walk, Monroe, NC Group Show 2009
Art Not Terminal Gallery, Seattle, Washington Group Show June, 2009
STOCK & LICENSED IMAGES ::
www.bridgemanart.com
www.artlicensing.com
COLLABORATIONS::
UNESCO
Norwood Publishers, USA ongoing collaboration for calendar images
2005 Puerto Rican Professional Association of South Florida Business Guide, FL, cover illustration
Fundacion Puertorriquena de Wisconsin y el Equipo Del Projecto de La Danza en Milwaukee, WI, promotional illustration
Esmaco Printers, PR, fully illustrated 2005 promotional calendar
2012 Arte Publico, illustrations for picture book "The Poet Upstairs" by Judith Cofer Ortiz
National Geographic Learning
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Detailed Bio:
Oscar Ortiz is a New York born Puerto Rican artist that currently lives in a rural suburb of North Carolina.
Following is his story.
1970's
His childhood memories in Puerto Rico, where he grew up, includes images of him running under a pouring rain to the local convenience store to buy from Don SerafÃn (Mr. SerafÃn) slices of meat wrapping paper for a cent each. The skinny boned old man would slowly rip one by one, rolled them in a scroll and tied them up with a string. Little Oscar, a rheumatic fever and heart murmur sufferer, would run home drenched but joyful to sketch super heroes cartoons in the few spared dry sheets.
As a youngster, he was requested often by his teachers to get involved in art projects for the school. He would spend hours and hours creating illustrations to be used as teaching aids. The pure joy of creating and making others happy through his paintings and drawings was what satisfied him the most. Nevertheless, the artistic creativity of the promising artist went dormant for almost thirty years!
2000's
In the summer of 2000 while walking with his wife downtown Charlotte, North Carolina, they decided to take a peek at a Comic Book Artists convention. As soon as they walked into the building, everything went mute for Oscar but the scratching sound of the pencils against the papers. Hundreds and hundreds of professional artists sketching left to right. He walked slowly through each booth, his heart pounding furiously. Finally, he looked at Wina to say, "I was meant for this. This is what I AM, an artist." "Then you MUST do this!" was her stern answer. This conversation was taking place in front of the 'Art Instruction Schools' booth. Mr. Ballard, a gray hair debonair gentleman, perhaps a mind reader, approached the couple to ask, "Do you draw?" "Well, I do have a couple of sketches at home." Oscar responded. Mr. Ballard and Oscar arranged to meet at his house for an evaluation of his talents. "You can certainly draw, but you'll benefit to learn illustration techniques through the school." Wina encouraged him to take them even though he was hesitant about the validity of learning mechanical illustrative techniques. His doubts were unfounded as each month afterwards he could see his draftsmanship abilities getting sharper and sharper.
Soon one of his illustrations made it to the local newspaper followed by a figurative realistic exhibition.
Wina had always been the pivotal hinge in his artistic career. One fine day he recalls clearly that she told him "Honey, I love your pencil drawings, but I'm sick and tired of black and white! I would like to see some colors for a change, you know. You are never going to make a living out of art unless you finally PAINT!"
Oscar had always looked at painting as a sacred terrain only available for the real gifted ones. Not anymore. His wife was right. So painting he did. From there on Oscar took upon himself to be as educated as possible in fine art and to learn from the real professionals. This entailed visiting working artists in their studios locally and abroad, starting and keeping communication with them through emails and constantly asking technical questions. He supported this self-imposed education with the reading of hundreds of books of different mediums and subscribing to several magazines.
In only two years after actively painting with no academic training through an atelier or personal coaching Oscar was commissioned his first piece. After that, he knew there was no going back. Several exhibitions and commissions followed that first one, selling more than 10 pieces in less than 6 months, and as the cliche goes, "the rest is history".
As of today Oscar Ortiz is a well-respected all around artist that intelligently has carved a niche in the international art market. He has been praised for his mature and controlled tropical color palette.
On 2012 he illustrated the awarded children's book entitled "The Poet Upstairs", published by Arte Público.