Hamilton Aguiar’s Silver Reflections
MORNING LIGHT
Oil on silver-leafed canvas
36 X 72 inches
whistlerart.com
mastersgalleryvail.com
aspengrovefineart.com
THE ARTIST: Hamilton Aguiar
KNOWN FOR: Dreamlike landscape paintings of winter forests bathed in a silver mist.
ON BECOMING AN ARTIST: "I came to the USA in 1987 and started working on construction and house painting. I worked with a master faux finisher, and I learned all the glazes and gilding. In 2004 I decided to mix everything and put it on a canvas and I had my first painting: It was a single tree."
LUMINOSITY: "When the sun comes out after a snowstorm you have that very bright glare. I saw this single tree in a field by itself, with that amazing light behind it, and I got goose bumps. It touched me. So I went to my shop and got a piece of plywood, I put silver leaf on it, and then I painted that tree. And that was my first painting that started this series."
QUIET MYSTERY: "The landscapes are mysterious because they have the mist, and the silver leaf makes the painting change with the reflection. If you keep looking at it you will find more elements. I like to do things that are very tranquil, very peaceful."
SEASONS OF LIFE: "The tree represents life. When I came from Brazil it was March, and I went to New York and I thought everything was dead. The trees had no leaves, just the branches. But spring came and everything started again. I had a lot of ups and downs in my life, and I think I relate with nature, because sometimes you see a tree but it's not dead, it's just going through a period. And it's coming; it's going to get better again."
NEXT: Through his website, hamiltonaguiar.com, Aguiar auctions a new piece of art each month and donates the proceeds to a variety of charities.
