Meet Orlando Guillen of Crazyturtleart in Palestine

Today we’d like to introduce you to Orlando Guillen.

Orlando, can you briefly walk us through your story – how you started and how you got to where you are today.
I have always been artistic and had a great interest in art as far as I can remember. I am a self- taught artist from Palestine, TX. My welded art started about three years ago. I have been working at Killion’s Collison for about eight years now. I work as a body tech and one day it just hit me why don’t I try to use all this metal that gets tossed out daily from my job. So that’s when it really took off for me. I got where I am today from hard work and dedication.

Great, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
It has not been an easy road. There is still a lot I need to learn. I just have to take it one day at a time. I have a full-time job and there just isn’t enough time in a day to get it all done. I juggle being a husband and a father to two beautiful girls. So, time is a challenge for me.

Crazyturtleart – what should we know? What do you guys do best? What sets you apart from the competition?
My business is called Crazyturtleart. The name comes from my love for turtles and they say I’m crazy. What do you do? When I’m not painting on canvas. I am a mixed media artist creating welded art that I then cut, weld, torch, sandblast, hand paint then car clear. Mainly anything in my toolbox is my paintbrush. What do you specialize in? I specialize in turning car fenders, bedsides, door skins, roofs, and hoods that were unable to be repaired into works of art. what are you known for? I am known for my metal roses and Dogwood flowers. What are you most proud of as a company? I am most proud of seeing the joy that comes out of people when they see my artwork. What sets you apart from others? I think what sets me apart from others is that I paint from the heart and not from others. Every single piece of my art is unique, and I will never create one like it again.

What moment in your career do you look back most fondly on?
My proudest moment was the reaction I got from someone on my very first sculpture “Lost Beauty” she cried because it reminded her of her struggles and the loss of her husband. That’s the reaction I needed to drive me to create more works of art.

Pricing:

• My art is priced for all type of buyers ranging anywhere from $2- $3500 located online and located in Wells Creek Crossing in Palestine TX, 211 Art Gallery in Athens TX and Artfix in Tyler TX.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.orlandoguillen.com
• Phone: (903)394-4172
• Email: crazyturtleart@gmail.com
• Instagram: https://instagram.com/crazyturtleart
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/crazyturtleart/
• Other: www.orlandoguillen.com

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