Andres Valencia’s basement studio is colorful and chaotic. Colorful portraits of imaginary characters adorn the walls. Pots of paint, boxes of oil crayons and homemade sculptures are stacked on a shelf in the corner. Dozens of brushes protrude from a bucket on the splattered floor. “I never know in advance what I’m going to paint,” says Andres. “I just start and let myself be surprised.” White canvases with sketches are lined up behind the door. In the middle of the room there are three wooden easels with pictures that are just drying. It smells like paint.
Andres wears a white t-shirt and blue jeans. Both are covered with spots of color. “At some point I ran out of things that didn’t have blotches on them,” he says. “That’s why these are my painting clothes now.” “But sometimes I forget them too,” he adds with a grin.
Andres Valencia: “There are no limits in art”
For Andres, the corona pandemic is becoming a catalyst. When California disappears into lockdown, the Valencia family also spends a lot of time in their own four walls. In addition to online classes, Andres studies Youtube tutorials and books by his favorite painters: Pablo Picasso, George Condo and Amedeo Modigliani. “I look at their art and it inspires me to paint something of my own,” he says. The canvases at the Valencia home are getting bigger and bigger. At some point Andres needs a stepladder to paint. When there was no longer enough space in the living room, he got his own studio in the basement. But it’s not just great artists who serve as inspiration, but also Pokémon characters – his second great passion.
“There are no borders in art,” says Andres. “A lot of people say: No, you’re not painting it right. You have to do it this way. But I think just do it the way you want it and something good will come out of it.”
Andres likes to paint in the evenings. Because then it’s quieter. “Then I’ll come down here, listen to music and paint.” His favorite musician is Frankie Valli. An 89-year-old rock star that most kids his age have probably never heard of. He also likes the Beatles. “I drew a picture for Paul McCartney in second grade,” he says proudly. He hopes to give it to him one day. His sketches are ready in a few minutes. The color lasts longer. “You always have to wait for it to dry. Often until the next day,” he says, rolling his eyes.