Beyond Skill: Figurative painter Golucho visits Whidbey

Throughout the art world, Spanish painter Golucho’s works are regarded as emotional, provocative and masterfully crafted. But according to the painter, philosopher and poet, his artistic technique is a vessel through which he delivers a much deeper message.

Throughout the art world, Spanish painter Golucho’s works are regarded as emotional, provocative and masterfully crafted. But according to the painter, philosopher and poet, his artistic technique is a vessel through which he delivers a much deeper message.

For him, the delicate details of the lines in a woman’s face, the unfathomable depth of her eyes or the anxious position of her hands are transmitted onto the canvas as though he were painting as much with his soul as with his brush and palette.

“Often, perfection is not in the unnecessary detail, in that pixel that distracts from the personal reason,” said Golucho in a translated email conversation with The Record. “The beauty in a work of art is that it transmits something, that’s the hard part, nothing else, not the amount of work it takes.”

Golucho will be visiting the United States for the second time to teach experienced, professional artists his philosophy during a workshop at the Whidbey Island Fine Art Studio entitled “Beyond Skill.”

The four-day course, which runs Sept. 9-12, will be a “total immersion” program, according to Whidbey Island Fine Art Studio owner Cary Jurriaans.

She explained that, during classes and workshops, she encourages the students and instructors to spend time together outside of the studio, to eat together and socialize in order to create a more intimate learning environment and to stimulate conversation and the exchange of ideas.

Contributed image | La Cañada Summer, a painting by Golucho.

Jurriaans said that she first heard of Golucho from her students and instructors, one of whom had met him at the New York Academy of Figurative Art, where Golucho was a visiting art critic.

“He is an incredibly interesting painter, very talented. In Europe he is highly acclaimed,” said Jurriaans.

She explained that there has been an increase in technical art schools and workshops, graduates from which are often looking for “something more” — an edgier or more personal approach to their work. She said the workshop with Golucho will be unique in that it will offer the extra something many artists seek. According to Jurriaans, artists have come from across the country to attend the workshop and one attendee is visiting from Chile to learn from Golucho.

“Subject or technique can never be more relevant than the poetic act that the author, by any means, conveys. Technique is the way to materialize the idea,” Golucho explained. “The painting has to stand on its own, above and beyond the theme depicted, [and] the chosen subject has to stay in the background, the artist’s voice in the foreground. One needs to know to express and to have something to say and if so, then we will find how.”

Golucho, who began teaching himself to paint at age 12 in Madrid and later received formal art training, said that for him, technique is a “new adventure” depending in part upon the subject he is painting. He added that, because his technique is diverse, it often seems as though there are multiple painters within him. He explained that the part of an artist that drives him or her to paint can come from many places, a moment long forgotten or a memory from childhood.

“You look at [one of his paintings] and you think ‘There is something more going on than just a painting.’ Some of it can be a little disconcerting,” said Jurriaans. “The other [reaction is that it] is awesome.”

For more information on the workshop, Golucho and the Whidbey Island Fine Art Studio, visit whidbeyislandfas.com.