When it comes to technique, RAW Artist Emmanuel Enriquez says he's all over the place. But his passion for art seems to be spot-on. RSVP to see his paintings on the walls of the V Lounge for our next Santa Monica Showcase on Thursday, March 4th! 

When did you start making art?
I was interested in art from a young age.  If I had to think of who first got me into drawing and painting, I would have to say it was my uncle Esteban Ramirez.  My uncle, who spent a large part of his life traveling, was an artist and would store his art and art supplies in my room while he was gone on his travels.  Just having his art pieces around inspired me to learn how to express myself.  After that, I continued with some art courses in high school where I truly fell in love with art. After high school, I got a bit side-tracked with life and put art down for about 6-7 years. During that time, I backpacked through Europe, studied in Spain and concentrated on my job. But, after a chance encounter, I not only met the Love of my life but my muse.  

From where do you draw inspiration for your work?
Inspiration for me comes from all aspects of my life: traveling, music, literature, family, friends and my Love.  

What do you love most about what you do? 
Being able to express myself ... There's a  certain satisfaction in being able to create something that captures who you are at that moment in time.  For me, no matter what it is that I'm creating, each piece contains a different part of who I am. I also love that each piece of art moves on to live it's own life, to be seen and interpreted through different eyes. I guess in a way it's almost like a small part of you  become immortal.

Do you engage in, or draw inspiration from, any other forms of art? 
Music has always been another important part of my life. When I was in high school I was in a punk band, and the freedom of expression i felt when singing in front of people could almost be compared to how I feel when creating a painting.  I just think it's such a beautiful way to evoke emotion.  I can definitely say that music continues to play an important role in my progression as an artist.

From start to finish, explain your process; what does a typical art-making day look like for you? 
I start most pieces with a sketch, a photo or an idea that I jot down, then transfer it to canvas.  When I work on my art, I generally always start by playing music, anything from Spanish guitar to hip hop to punk. Also, I rarely only work on one piece at a time.  For me, art is overwhelmingly emotional, which not only causes me to continuously work on different pieces, but also causes each piece to constantly evolve.  Almost every painting tends to turn out differently than I originally plan.  From there it really depends on which piece I start working on. On my pieces that derive from photography, I try to use color and texture to evoke emotion and make the painting into something new. Similar to how a musician might re-master a song, by respecting the original piece but still making it his/her own. 

What sort of techniques do you most like working with? 
When it comes to technique, I'm all over the place ...

Medium of choice?
My mediums of choice would be oil and canvas, but many of my pieces are mixed media. I love the way it creates different textures, making one painting multidimensional. 

Are there any artists who strongly inform and influence your work? 
I enjoy the work of Andre Desjardins, a French-Canadian artist. I love the way he combines oil and charcoal to create different layers.

Why showcase at RAW?
RAW seems to be a good way to not only cross promote yourself as an artist but also to mix and gain new influences from other local artist