Today we’d like to introduce you to Walter Erra Hubert.
Hi Walter, can you start by introducing yourself? We’d love to learn more about how you got to where you are today?
Born to Italian immigrant parents, I was heavily influenced by my U.S. and Italian roots, straddling both worlds.
My creative journey in the arts began very early in childhood, hastened by a voracious curiosity about color. What color, as of yet unseen by my eyes, could I invent by mixing colored water made from the petals of flowers? How could I shine light through those colors to project and paint with light on my bedroom walls? Our garden, filled with hidden pathways, ponds, streams and waterfalls all shaded and obscured by exotic plant species became a constant source of inspiration. My affinity with nature was reinforced by the Southern California community where my family lived. Although lacking a silver spoon in my mouth at birth, this didn’t seem to hinder my creative development as I grew up in Pasadena. In fact, I found that the paintbrush I was born with was and is a much more exciting and useful tool than any silver spoon.
Positioned near the national forest, the mountains became my playground for childhood games and eventually a source of further discovery on horseback. I often rode my horses deep into the canyons. It was in this backdrop that nature pervaded my spirit and opened my heart to beat in sync with the constant rhythm of the universe.
My first taste of production on a grand scale began at a very early age when I seized the opportunity to decorate floats for the world-famous Rose Parade. I witnessed what a well-coordinated team can achieve when properly supported by design specs that are clearly and creatively developed. I knew I wanted to be a part of that world. I was also aware that if I wanted to succeed, I would need to develop my own artistic vocabulary and artistic skills. Given the fortuitous encounter early on with a wonderful art teacher when I was in high school, I was fortunate to win scholarships and find myself directed to the Otis Art Institute in downtown Los Angeles. At that time, the school was experiencing an exciting transition from its classically-based foundation to incorporating the principals of conceptual art that at that moment was having a tremendous surge in popularity. I thrived amidst the dichotomy (and controversy) of the two opposing schools of thought.
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
My studies at Otis culminated in a Master’s Degree in Fine Arts with a specialty in painting and printmaking. After Otis, I left directly for England where I taught on a Fulbright Scholarship at the High Wycombe College of Art and Design. The doors to fulfilling my artistic potential seemed to be opening. Living in Europe for a long period of time heavily influenced my vision about life and of my relationship to art. Various opportunities arose upon my return to the U.S. including teaching art at Pasadena City College and founding he design production studio, Silver Birches. I immediately set up my own studio in Pasadena developing three separate creative endeavors at the same time, painting, design and event production.
The artistic road for me has not always been perfectly smooth. Financial setbacks, personal challenges, and emotional struggles are how we learn and grow, but no matter what the difficulties have been, my life and work have always felt fulfilling, and it has certainly been an interesting and colorful journey!
Thanks – so what else should our readers know about your work and what you’re currently focused on?
I work in the mediums of acrylic paintings, monoprints, resin and mixed media. My current solo exhibition “Promising Skies” is curated by Marisa Caichiolo and is on view until April 9 at Building Bridges Art Exchange gallery in Santa Monica (2525 Michigan Ave. Unit F2, Santa Monica.
Ironically, I chose to self-isolate in 2018, two years before the international lockdown, which was extended due to that and resulted in my latest body of work Promising Skies, which reflects a world moving towards a new reality. The magic of nature and journeys of the spirit are at the core of my work. I am in constant exploration of the tension we perceive between the realms of matter and spirit. I hope that the viewer senses that language and is drawn into the relevance of the journey.
Over the decades of my career, I have refined and consolidated my various creative pursuits with a fair amount of success. I loved being a judge for the Rose Parade a few years back. With my work as the creative director and CEO of Silver Birches, I have had the good fortune to design and execute large scale environmental installations, gardens, land art, architectural spaces, and even furniture. I have worked with major corporations like Lexus and Target on hundreds of brand enhancing projects, as well as designing the film premieres and events for every major studio in Los Angeles. Along the way, I have written books, lectured internationally on floral and event design, and consulted on dozens of architectural projects.
Throughout it all, I have continued to hone my painting aesthetic and techniques with several shows in Europe over the past few years, a painting in the 2022 Beijing Biennale, and my solo show at Building Bridges Art Exchange in Santa Monica.
In terms of your work and the industry, what are some of the changes you are expecting to see over the next five to ten years?
I believe that we are in the midst of a large paradigm shift in our society right now. It is hard to predict what we will face in the next week, let alone five years from now. Political worlds are colliding. Our civilization is being reshaped by climate change and a global pandemic. Established norms are no longer the norms we knew.
We live in a constant state of flux and uncertainty. I believe that as artists, it is our duty to respond to this world as we see it in this moment. Even in unstable times, we must try to lead the way towards a better world through our creative expression and endeavors. The future belongs to each and every one of us who can find the courage to face the unknown and meet the changes and challenges that we inevitably encounter in life.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.waltererrahubert.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/waltererrahubert/
- Facebook: https://m.facebook.com/waltererrahubertart
Image Credits
Images provided by Walter Erra Hubert
