iCandy Art by Sonny

Denver artist, Moses “Sonny” Valdez established his artistic roots over the course of 25 years working as a custom automotive painter. With brushed metal as his canvas, automotive paint as his medium and imagination seeding his artistic dreams, Sonny Valdez is creating contemporary abstract works of art that are hard to restrict to a certain genre. Born and raised in Denver, Valdez grew up with a tinkerer\'s love of cars. As a younger man, he opened an auto body shop with friends who over time eventually found himself on his own. Faced with sinking or swimming, Valdez made custom painting a steady part of his repertoire. The skill grew and so did the number of customers. Valdez is not one to boast about his successes. \"I never saw it coming,\" he shrugs. \"One thing led to another.\" His passion for cars and talent as a custom painter kept him in business for many years. Along the way more than 10 of his painted cars were featured in national automotive magazines, including both a coveted centerfold and cover in Low Rider Magazine. Yet it wasn\'t a direct leap from cars to scraps of metal and a new career as an artist. First, Sonny embarked on a career in real estate, selling houses for 14 years. Meanwhile the artist in him was a dark horse sleeping. \"I finally did a piece and thought, \'Wow, this is what I hoped it would be.\' I had and still have so many ideas and things I want to try.\" Valdez has been creating his art for about Five years. The \"iCandy\" exhibit is a comeback of sorts for the artist. \"There are a few guys out there doing this kind of work, but certainly no one else locally on my level,\" he said. \"I\'m hoping these gallery shows will help me get back on track. I\'ve got new pieces being created and many more ideas for new products to use in my process.\" To describe his artistic process in laymen\'s terms, Valdez works on pieces of brushed metal and occasionally wood, etching unique patterns onto them with grinding tools and finishing them with \"candy coated\" shades of automotive paint. He often anticipates a color or combination of color patterns in his head and starts a piece with this in mind. \"When I begin, I try to take it a certain direction,\" he said, \"but it can easily go another way, too.\" Because of the changes that can occur as he works on a given piece, Valdez finds that his smaller finished works often began as pieces of another larger piece. \"Sonny\'s work is delightful,\" \"Brilliant colors, attractive designs and shiny surfaces make his a unique and fun exhibit.\" Valdez, like any artist, relishes the opportunity to showcase his work. \"I crave the reactions of people when they see my art,\" he said. \"I want to touch and inspire someone with my art, and I am excited about having an audience that will see my work for the first time at the iCandy gallery show.\" For current information on when & where iCandy Art is being displayed please feel free to call, text or email me. Thank You Moses “Sonny” Valdez iCandyArtBySonny.com 720-732-1655 [email protected] www.facebook.com/pages/ICandy-Art-by-Sonny/223070871134391