Today we’d like to introduce you to Claudio Aguilar.
Alright, so thank you so much for sharing your story and insight with our readers. To kick things off, can you tell us a bit about how you got started?
I started drawing at a young age. My earliest memories of drawing go back to the first few years of elementary school. I don’t know the genesis of why I picked up drawing or how I was introduced to it. It could have very well been because of classroom assignments, but whatever it was, it just stuck with me. For fun, I remember drawing the spider-themed cover of my science textbook or drawing the cover of my older brother’s Family Guy DVD set.
Till this day, my older sister talks fondly in family gatherings about my Family Guy drawing of when I was a kid. In the same conversation, my older sister would bring up how she would tell my parents to put me into art classes, but nothing ever did come of that. At a young age, I just focused on getting my drawings as close as possible to the original of what I was seeing. Of course, looking back at it now, I wasn’t always on target. But I wasn’t that far off either, and I knew this at the time. I remember feeling that I wasn’t that bad. So throughout elementary, middle school, and high school, I drew. However, it would be something I would do every now and then. It was also something I was shy about showing others; it felt more like a secret. I would see a gradual progression in my drawings, and the personal interest in the challenge kept me going. Senior year of high school, I finally took my first elective; it was an art class. Before this, I was constantly trying to catch up on credits for graduation. I was excited not only because I was finally taking an elective but also my first art class. This played a major role in my trajectory because prior, I had no desire to pursue a future in art.
For the first time, I felt like I didn’t have to feel shy or embarrassed about a certain part of my life. This class gave me space and encouragement to experiment and play. I felt like I finally found something I was good at. I was finally in a class where I excelled in. I felt unique. I felt like I stood out, an individual with a voice. I was receiving positive feedback for the work I was doing. My art teacher Ms. Harte even submitted a drawing of mine to CSUN’s art gallery for their annual High School Invitational. The entire experience of this class heavily persuaded me to change my major and pursue art after high school and into community college. I have recently submitted my UC applications, and I’m waiting to see if I get accepted to continue majoring in art. At the moment, I am working on a website and on other forms of establishing and branching myself out as an artist.
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 the smoothest of roads. I’ve gotten in my own way a lot and have had a difficult time overcoming myself. Insecurities, fear, outside pressures, my own expectations, believing in myself, avoiding responsibility, discipline, finding myself, you name it. As a result, I’ve contributed to the stagnation of my movement forward. I’ve also always struggled with school. A few weeks ago, I realized that most of my drawings were made when I was doing badly in school, particularly in college. It was a sad realization at first, but it’s also somewhat empowering. I realized that I ran away from difficulties and ran towards my art. Just put my headphones on, listen to some music, not think, and just draw. I was creating my own reality. I was making something beautiful and uniquely from me to raise my own self-esteem. To show to myself and others that I am more underneath. It isn’t the toughest thing to admit, sure, but it has been my truth. It isn’t all sad though, because this past year, I’ve sought help and have been working on these mental roadblocks. Just being a part of this article is a result of such efforts.
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 mainly do portrait drawings out of chalk pastels; that has been my specialty. As a medium, chalk pastel is what I have gravitated to in recent years. I find faces as an interesting and enjoyable subject matter to draw and reference from. Alongside that, I find chalk pastels as an enjoyable medium to work with. My current body of work has revolved around my sketchbook, having 38 drawings come out of it so far. The drawings consist of a variety of portraits, each independent from one another and yet connected to one another. In terms of how I find who or what to draw next, I look for an individual or subject that interests me or that I feel would be fun to draw. The thing I’m most proud of is seeing how much my body of work has grown. With that comes the realization that I have stuck to art and the awareness of how much I have grown in skill and in confidence as an artist. What sets me apart from others would be not only the portraits but my style and the colors used in the drawings. I try to show myself in each stroke. I want people to see my movement and feel my energy in every piece. I try and make the drawings pop, feel energetic, interesting, rebellious, fun, colorful, and teeter between structure/ tradition and freedom/ new. I want to give an interpretation that is uniquely mine.
Do you have any memories from childhood that you can share with us?
Camping next to the beach at Leo Carillo. An uncle of mine invited my family one summer to camp with them, and after that, it became something we did for several years during the summer. Other relatives would come on future trips, and we would all camp on the same grounds. Every year it was something the entire family and I looked forward to. It would be a nice retreat from the valley heat. Waking up to a misty morning, looking at the tide pools, boogie boarding, or staying up late next to a fire and relatives. It was so much fun as a kid, and of course, leaving was always a huge bummer. It’s hard to talk about one particular trip because all the visits to Leo Carillo sort of blend together now that I’m older.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.claudioaguilar.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ca_guilar/
