JOSÉ LUIS NUNEZ

Danbury, Connecticut

José Luis Nunez was born in Mexico City, where he began painting at the age of 13. He studied art and philosophy in Spain, Italy, and Mexico, and did his graduate studies in painting and metal engraving at the National Autonomous University of Mexico (San Carlos Art Academy). His work has been on view in more than 50 exhibitions around the world and has won awards in the U.S. and Brazil, where he lived for three years. A U.S. resident since 2002, José takes regular plein air painting trips to Arizona, Utah, and New Mexico.

There is so much grandeur, beauty, and immensity at Grand Canyon that a whole human life would not be enough to capture its spirit and beauty. This is the reason to wake up early and be by the rims from dawn to dusk. To me, the more dramatic, the better. Therefore, sunrise and sunset offer the best light for the painter. Hopi Point is one of the best places to be in the afternoon. Approaching Rain Showers is a late afternoon view of Hopi Point and what lays beyond it.

At Grand Canyon the challenge for the plein air painter is tremendous. The sun moves fast and so do the shadows, shades, and color hues during the day. Clouds add drama but also hide, shade, and darken the light, complicating the development of a plein air painting. But the result is the magic spontaneity of outdoor art.

Approaching Rain Showers | 30x40, oil