“Art not only imitates nature but also completes its deficiencies.” Such a powerful statement from the Greek philosopher Aristotle. Art is the divine reflection of the artist’s soul. It is not just a means and an end for recreating the natural world but is a leeway to see and express it in a myriad of ways. Thus, art is the power that gives voice to nature.
For centuries, the artist has used nature as a muse and a motivation that spirals him to create different forms of art. With this comes awe and understanding as he observes and works with the natural world. Such is the awe, understanding, and deep connection to nature of my friend, mentor, and fellow artist Raul D. Arellano. As he dips his brush into his palette and paints on his canvas, time is momentarily suspended as the divine merges with the temporal through his brush. It is also this deep connection to nature that serves as a driving force for him to regularly plant different varieties of trees and other vegetations with great care and thoroughness. Indeed, both nature and art are the fire that ignite his soul as he exalts and gives importance to man’s symbiotic relationship with nature through his art.
Raul is in a constant flux; thinking, creating, moving. To catch him and his thoughts is to think and act the same way. His is a persona of grit, down to earth charm who loves the mundane and derives inspiration from it. Who cannot be awed by this artist who is ever evolving like the earth, the wind, and the fire?
