Today we’d like to introduce you to Mario Solorzano.
Hi Mario, thanks for sharing your story with us. To start, maybe you can tell our readers some of your backstory.
My art life really began during the pandemic. Although I drew a little as a child, I grew out of it sometime around high school. I was really into breakdancing back then, shortly after I joined the army, and did that for a while. My most recent obsession has been Bachata dancing up until the pandemic hit. Then the lockdown happened, I found myself stuck at home with nothing to do. My sister and I decided to invest $70 in some paint supplies and have a paint night at home, starting with our dog Zorro. Surprisingly, it turned out pretty good!
After that, I went on a spree of painting everyone’s dogs. If you were my friend and had a dog, you bet I was going to paint it. With lots of practice, I got better and started painting all kinds of things – from live figure models, animals and cool pop culture stuff. I even played around with UV-reactive paint, glow-in-the-dark, temperature-sensitive and even invisible ink.
Art has since become a big part of my life. I painted murals for the sheriff’s department, I’ve won awards at county fairs, had my own art shows, and regularly showed my art in museums/galleries, and got to live paint models at burlesque shows. I get to participate in all kinds of amazing events.
Alright, 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 hasn’t been easy. I love to paint, and I’ve had incredible support from friends, family and even strangers but it’s so much work! You got to be your own marketing company, accountant, Website developer, and delivery person. The market goes up and down, and sometimes I do multiple pop-up shows and go home with little to no money to show for it. But I understand that it’s all necessary. It’s hard getting discovered by your audience.
As you know, we’re big fans of you and your work. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about what you do?
I’m probably best known for my UV-reactive art. When you shine a black light to my art, you’ll often find hidden images, Easter eggs or it might even shift the painting from something appropriate to inappropriate. My subject matter changes drastically so it’s hard to pin me down with a niche, but I have a few fun series that I continually add to including a dwarf skeleton I call Dancing Jack, funny Hasbulla art, and paintings of my pets. Including a series of my girl dog “Lucy” as an empowered women (Frida, Medusa, Wednesday Addams, etc.)
We’d love to hear about how you think about risk taking?
My art can be provocative at times, and it’s not always appropriate for family events, but I find ways to sneak them in there anyway. I firmly believe that good art makes you feel something, and personally, I enjoy the feeling I get when I paint a baby Yoda, giving the finger or hidden UV reactive blunt in someone’s mouth or even clothes that disappear when the art warms to 80 degrees.
Pricing:
- Commissions starting at $100 (8x10in)
Contact Info:
- Website: Artbymariosolorzano.com
- Instagram: art.by.mariosolorzano
