Today we’d like to introduce you to Ed Salazar.
Ed Salazar formally began his art education at the age of 18 in St. Petersburg, Florida at St. Petersburg College. After moving to New York in 1984, he became a successful illustrator of Biblical and historical subjects producing some 300 paintings in over 20 years. His illustrations have appeared in many books, calendars, and journals, some of which enjoy an international circulation in several languages.
Salazar also developed his skills as a portrait artist painting in the classical tradition. He has taken painting workshops with renowned living artists such as Nelson Shanks at the New York Academy of Art and with Everett Raymond Kinstler and Max Ginsburg at The Art Students League of New York. He has also absorbed the lessons from painting demonstrations by John Howard Sanden, Richard Schmid, Daniel Greene, Carl Samson as well as from studying and making copies of his favorite masters from the past, namely, John Singer Sargent, Jules Bastien-Lepage, and Diego Velazquez.
He is a member of the Connecticut Society of Portrait Artists, has served on the Leadership Team of the New York Society of Portrait Artists and as a member of the American Society of Classical Realism. Salazar also regularly lectures on different periods of art history at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York. Among his portrait subjects are celebrities such as actress and singer Vanessa Williams, NBA star Rick Fox, NASCAR great Mark Martin, and jazz legends Gato Barbieri and Lionel Hampton. His portraits have been exhibited in prestigious galleries such as New York’s Salmagundi Club and hang in public and private collections in the Americas, Europe, and Asia.
Salazar presently resides in Fort Worth, Texas, where he also enjoys painting equestrian portraits, still life, and landscapes. He believes that regardless of the subject one paints, the key elements of successful painting consist in good composition, correct drawing, accurate values, naturalistic color, variety of edges and textures, as well as dexterity in brushwork. As a result of consistently meeting this criterion, his painting style has been described as “very natural,” “lifelike,” “dignified,” “powerful,” “classic.”
Overall, has it been relatively smooth? If not, what were some of the struggles along the way?
Has it been a smooth road? There have been low points where not too many commissions are coming in, but thanks to God, I have always had the necessary things. COVID-19 / Just moved to Fort Worth from New York eight months ago. Fort Worth is a great city. I arrived with my wife in October 2019. After settling in I started to look for galleries for representation but when COVID19 hit, art galleries were closed and this has impacted my work. We’d love to hear more about your work.
We’d love to hear more about your art.
I now added to my artistic services that I am an art educator. I give lectures on art history in connection with the elements of art, which contribute to realistic as well as impressionistic techniques. Since January 2020, I have been offering online art classes via the Zoom videoconferencing platform and it has gone well. My students are benefiting greatly and connect from several countries of the world. I believe that with some training and practice, everyone has the ability to learn to draw and paint well, which can also lower stress and enhances our joy and satisfaction in life. I have a newly designed website that includes a shop for ordering prints.
Is our city a good place to do what you do?
Fort Worth is a very practical town. I really like it. There is a good amount of culture here, very nice museums, which I think is very good for artists.
Pricing:
- Starting at $800 – $20,000 depending on size and number of subject (oil portrait)
Contact Info:
- Website: www.edsalazarfineart.com
- Phone: 203-252-9284
- Email: edsalazarfineart@gmail.com
- Instagram: Edsalazarfineart
Image Credit:
Dick Burkett
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