We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Emilio Lobato. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Emilio below.

Emilio, appreciate you joining us today. Alright, so you had your idea and then what happened? Can you walk us through the story of how you went from just an idea to executing on the idea

Being an artist is only partly like owning a business. In the current market there are concerns for “branding” and image associated with bringing one’s “product” to market. This is balanced with the creation and execution of producing art, or “the product”. It is a challenge and a learned skill to navigate between the two important worlds to ultimately share my work with its intended audience.
The life of an artist requires a degree of isolation to give birth to ideas. A business requires the opposite, such as networking and promotion. It’s been an illuminating 40 year journey for me.

Emilio, love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?

I am an artist, an abstract painter who has been honing my craft through my practice for over 40 years. Full time for the past 30 years. I show my work in galleries around the country and have even been the subject of two mid-career surveys in Colorado museums in the past 10 years. My work is primarily collage (antique book pages and handmade paper) with oil paint on wood panels. I’m also a printmaker, as well as creating work in ceramic, textiles, jewelry and photography. I continue actively creating new work and sharing it with others by exhibiting it. I’ve also created work employing found vintage objects (such as wooden electricians rulers). My work generally has explored my own emotional experiences, by employing objects/ideas that summon nostalgia and evoke modernity at the same time. I am the 16th generation of my father’s family in this country from Spain. My cultural heritage and my life in contemporary society have been rich sources of inspiration. My art continually gives me joy and helps me understand my life and its context in the human condition.

We’d really appreciate if you could talk to us about how you figured out the manufacturing process.

I personally produce my art. The process initially begins with my own inspiration/ideas. Painting in an abstract style gives me an opportunity to create a non verbal language/message which I explore and refine on a two dimensional surface (the canvas or panel). Employing all the artists tools such as line, color and composition allows me to explore and express ideas. Creating is a muscle that needs flexing and rest (contemplation) in equal measure. It is my passion and privilege to do this, continually my whole life.

I was born and raised on a remote cattle ranch in southern Colorado, a small village a few miles from the oldest town in Colorado. As a child there were many opportunities to wander in the open landscape and there was also lots of time to wonder. To day dream, and to transform raw materials like mud and sticks into things. Mudpies eventually became pots, then sculptures. A drawing in the dirt could then be duplicated on paper and occasionally a canvas. My father, a rancher was also a public school teacher. He had studied art as an undergrad, and he’d share his art supplies (and knowledge) with me. My mother taught me to sew and cook and thus the old fashioned ideas about men’s work and women’s work were ignored. I joke now that I have restless hand syndrome and understand that it started early. Geographic isolation forced/fostered my imagination. As an adult I was able to study art, At Colorado College. It was there that I met my future wife, an ambitious and bright pre law student. Luckily for me her love and support enabled me to pursue my career and I in turn, supported hers. Miraculously we both built successful careers and raised two daughters.

Along the way I have learned by trial and error about marketing, promoting and selling my work in galleries. In the early years I participated in outdoor art fairs. My work is currently represented/exhibited in galleries and occasionally have been invited to exhibit in art museums. Financially, my career has been a roller coaster ride of sorts and yet has continued to be a viable source of income. The challenge for me is to balance the ever evolving market with a very personal need to express my genuine and intimate thoughts and feelings.

Can you share a story from your journey that illustrates your resilience?

There have been countless lessons I have learned in the 40 years that I’ve been a practicing and exhibiting artist. I’ve never run out of inspiration or ideas as my creative we’ll never runs dry. Sure there have been moments where it’s run low but I’ve learned ways to replenish it. Growing up in a very isolated village there were very limited resources and opportunities for social activities. I turned to books. Reading whatever I could get my hands on provided a window into the world beyond my village. The beautiful high desert landscape is vast and fed my imagination. There was both time space to explore, and experiment. Being surrounded by the furniture, textiles and home decor created by my industrial ancestors were examples of their creativity and ingenuity. Making the things they needed and desired were important early lessons. I have long thought that my artistic endeavors are merely the next generation of what has been a long tradition/lifestyle.

Contact Info:

• Website: None
• Instagram: Elobatoartist
• Facebook: Emilio Lobato Artist
• Linkedin: None
• Twitter: None
• Youtube: “A Mi Manera” Emilio Lobato Colorado Artist
• Yelp: None
• Soundcloud: None

Image Credits

All photos were taken by myself.