Andre Lucero was called to paint early on, coming from an artistic family he decided to make painting a top priority in high school. After graduating from VCU, he has pursued a full-time career as a professional artist and in the 31 years since he hasn’t looked back. “I’ve always loved what I’m doing so I like to say I’ve never worked a day in my life. I think a lot of people get lured into a salaried job which makes art plan B, but I wanted to make art plan A.”
Turns out, sticking to that plan was the best decision Andre has made. Now an award winning and frequently published artist, he is known for his Impressionistic plein air landscapes. “I paint outdoors in nature, and like to think of my art as a diary.” Andre’s subject matter revolves around all things natural, between the rolling hills of his home in Goochland County to beaches along the East Coast. “My view is that art should be an expression of the artist’s life, what your interests and passions are.” Now represented by nine galleries across the country, Andre’s artistic endeavors have afforded him quite the success.
With his creative process, Andre prefers the spontaneity of painting en plein air and attends events where he will paint from 4am until midnight. “I will often wait until something catches my eye, I usually capture my paintings in one scene and spot and never touch up in the studio.” His gestural brushstrokes effortlessly capture the essence of a scene, encouraging the eye to fervently dance across the canvas. “I often compare painting to music with my students. I’m big into improvisational jazz and a musician often knows where they want something to go, but they will also play it by ear.”
For Andre, the process is even more important than the final product and staying true to your artistic vision. “The best art is sincere and truthful, that can take pretty much any form depending on the artist. That’s real art.”