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HIS PAINTINGSJohn Rivera-Resto is a self-taught artist. That is, he learned how to paint on his own. This does not mean that he is an uneducated artist. Nothing could be farther from the truth. He has attended five colleges and universities, had two years of theological seminary, and has completed several workshops and internship programs in business, education, communication, theatre, creative writing, filmmaking, architectural drawing and, of course, art. He reads everything and anything in several languages (assisted by his always-nearby dictionary); the library is his second home. At the time he was doing his first commission at age sixteen, his bedtime companion was Giorgio Vasari's "Lives of The Painters, Sculptors and Architects" -and the biographies and technical books of any artist he could lay his hands on! John states that he never had any aspirations to become a painter; his dreams were in the theatre. But he found artist's lives fascinating and was intrigued about the manner in which masterpieces where created and the times that inspired them. His curiosity however was not just limited to the arts. He has a voracious appetite for a wide variety of subjects ranging from cooking to geometry; from archaeology to military strategy.
Within the artistic realm, Michelangelo and Leonardo da Vinci are his early idols. As a child he used to spend hours going over their paintings with a magnifying glass figuring out how they were able to do them. But it never occurred to him that he could do it too. Being a painter was not on his agenda. It was his belief that artists lived by faith and that he never had much of it (actually, he still believes it!). Furthermore, doing theatre was more fun and he loved acting. After completing his first mural, he had no shortage of commissions. It was a great 'part-time' and source of income while he attended school and prepared for a theatre competition sponsored by the Ministry of Education. This was a once in a lifetime opportunity; the winner had a shot at Julliard school in New York.
And so, John wrote a one-act, cast his friends in it, played the lead, directed the piece, choreographed a sword-fighting sequence, and won. But he had three things going against him. First, he couldn't speak English; second, he was only sixteen (a minor); third, his church did not permit "godless" theatre. Not knowing where to turn (the noble profession of accounting was hinted at him more than once), John decide to take the easy way and in the summer of 1977 he moved to Cleveland, Ohio (his birthplace), to study art... at least until something better came along. He attended Cooper School of Art for a year (Cooper was one of the top-ten commercial art school in the United States). His first assignment was 'to draw a headache'. This was a bad sign (to read more about this episode, go to the 'current works' page, then click: "2007 -The Wolstein Château Wine Room Murals", and scroll down to "Professor Rivera-Resto"). John soon discovered that aesthetics and art philosophy far exceeded art theory and practice. He wanted to learn the skills of the trade much like the masters of old he so admired; the aesthetics he could learn later. To his great disappointment, this was a far cry from the traditional methods of art instruction he had been eagerly anticipating. But he made the best of it and used his time wisely. That year he learned how to speak English (with the assistance of a British tutor) and more than he cared to know about football and rock-n-roll. The following year, he transferred to the prestigious Cleveland Institute of Art.
Things turned for the worst. At the Institute, he had to repeat many of the same classes he had taken at Cooper (the same ones he had also taken at the University of Puerto Rico!). Again, he was taught more aesthetics - but not much painting, and he starved to pay for tuition and books while worked nights as a welder. Then, at the end of the year when it was time to declare a choice of study, he applied for the painting program (studio arts), and out of all the applicants, he was the only one rejected. All his friends were shocked; he was devastated -for a day or two. Rather than try again to enter the painting program during the following term, he decided to quit art school. The high fees and the Institute's weak concentration on painting made it easier. And besides, he had other interests in mind, places to go, and paintings to do to pay for it. The next week, he got an offer to paint murals in a villa south of the border. Adventure called. In retrospect, being left to his own brand of eclectic education turned out for the best. The results can be seen by clicking on the thumbnails (which include commentary on the paintings). Furthermore, John's experience with formal art education has lead him to continue on to an Master of Fine Art in Studio Arts at Vermont College of Norwich University. His goal: to teach the art of painting in college from his point of view (and "so that my mother would stop nagging me"). After all, John has experience on something that art schools completely neglect to teach its students: how to succeed as an artist in the real world.
PAINTING HABITSJohn learned and practice painting using Crayola™ crayons and non-toxic tempera colours (yes, the same six-jar pack most children use in school). His cartoons are still done in tempera. He used acrylics for the first time when he did his first painting, a mural. When speed and bright colours is of the essence, he uses acrylic paints. He was introduced to oils at the Cleveland Institute of Art. They immediately became his medium of choice. With oils, he favours a limited palette to concentrate more on values. For smaller paintings, he works on canvas, but prefers the smooth surface of masonite panels.
Like many artists, John hates math (geometry is the only exception) and has some eccentric habits. The most obvious one is that he paints mainly at night. The only time he paints during daylight is when he works on exterior murals. He paints with either hand, even though he is general right handed. As an artist, John shares common traits with other artists. But, the one thing that John does not share is an interest in the act of painting. He laments his habit of procrastinating before the commencement of a new commission due to this fact. And before he can get started, John always follows the following ritual: he cleans his whole house spotless. When painting, John takes a lot of breaks, paints while listening to books on tape or romantic music, snacks constantly, and is addicted to coffee (mountain-grown Puerto Rican). He always buys the best quality materials and equipment. His favourite art supplier is Utrecht (www.utrechtart.com). Other favourite artists of his are Jean August Dominique Ingres and Jean León Gérôme (French), Ken Davies (American), Norman Rockwell (American), Lord Frederick Leighton (British) and Sir Lawrence Alma-Tadema (Dutch-British). His favorite female artists are Artemisia Gentilleschi (Italian) and contemporary siren, Tamara de Lempicka (Polish). PERSONAL TRIVIA (only for the curious)Those of you who are curious to know what kind of predilections artists might have, will enjoy reading the following trivia. Perhaps if might help you figure out what goes inside an artistic mind or what personal influences are reflected in their artwork. If you are like me, you may find artists to be amusing creatures. This is more so if, since birth, the artist shows signs of being both ADHD and gifted. I certainly find John to be a work in progress. But first, a word of caution: don't try to figure him out. It can really drive you up a wall.Tastes:John laments that he can not afford his taste and that his ambitions greatly exceed his resources. While his lifestyle is simple, his tastes are eclectic but selective. His personal preferences reflect scholarly inclinations with very limited interest in material luxuries. He cares little for things such as jewellery, cars, sports or the latest fashions. But he does favour travel, good restaurants, interesting conversation, and dressing up when the role requires it. He does have good table manners and can order food in four languages (Spanish, English, French, and Italian). He only curses in English! Working Style:John is hyperactive and likes to work simultaneously on several tasks. As a rule, he prefers to perform a task for no more than four hours. He may work on a canvas, switch to a computer game, then pick up a book, next a pen for some creative writing, and finally, back to get back to painting. However, he tries to keep all these activities related to the subject he may be working at the time. His sleeping patterns are erratic; he normally sleeps when he wants to sleep. Sometimes four hours is enough, while sleeping for twenty hours or so happens on ocassion. This drove his parents crazy, especially because he works mostly during the night. His father used to turn off the electrical power to John's room in order to deprive him of light (and hopefully get him to go to sleep). But this practice did not work as John would resort to moonlight and mirrors for illumination. John has very little tolerance for activities that he considers irrelevant, but he does become a master of those that keep his interest. In fact, he is a master of many skills and subjects. When a particular problem truly engages his attention, he can focus his concentration and energies for long periods of time, sometimes working for over twenty-four hours non-stop. Once a challenge has been mastered, he looses interest and finds something else to do. He hates to repeat anything he perceives as dull. It goes without saying that John is not a typical "nine-to-five" kind of guy. But he gets things done and done well -his way. To meet his self-imposed standards, he works with admirable intensity, discipline, and dedication. Circles:His idea of a perfect vacation is going native in some foreign country and getting to know the locals. A couple of weeks of relaxation in a tropical heaven makes him want to shoot himself. After all, he grew up in paradise, but his restless spirit craves action. John works in a social atmosphere, but prefers solitude and does not frequent the social scene. Unless he is there for a purpose, crowds make him uneasy. He does have a flair for doing things his way (and getting into trouble) and for keeping his personal affairs private, particularly his romantic life. Family:John's children are the centre of his life. He jealously guards their privacy and rarely involves them in his career. His son "Alex" is now married to a lovely girl named Katie, and they have a beautiful son named Samuel Andres; John calls him "Sandro." When John announced to his theatre colleagues that he now had a grandson, what followed the silence was the question: "You got kids?" Once asked about how it felt to be a grandfather, John replies: "I don't know; I was just getting the hang of fatherhood." Early this year (2005) Alex will be leaving for the Air Force. Beautiful Selina is in her second year at Ohio University in Athens, Ohio. She is studying to be in the medical profession. John lives with his brother Ricky Nelson, a technician at the NASA Lewis-Glen Research Center in Cleveland, Ohio.
2008 update- Selina is president of one of her college sororities and beginning a post graduate school for a master in Hospital Administration; Music:John's hobbies include travelling, stage fighting, computer strategy games, reading (historical books & biographies are favoured) and foreign films. He also likes to sing (Spanish gospel hymns) and greatly enjoys listening to a selective mix of artists. The Julio Iglesias version of Starry Night and the Andrea Bocelli-Marta Sanchez duo Vivo Per Lei are two of his favorites. His enjoys romantic ballads (in any language), classic movie themes and Vivaldi. His favorite singers are Andrea Bocelli (Italy), Camilo Sesto (Spain), Danny Rivera (Puerto Rico), Kenny Rogers and Nat King Cole (USA). Favorite female singers are Barbra Streisand and Celine Dion. He would marry either one just so that they could sing to him in the morning. His latest artist of choice is Josh Groban. John comments, "Finally, after series of cloned singers that sound like chipmunks, and a horde of tasteless-screaming men presenting themselves with a bevy of semi-nude women who under normal circumstances would not approach them with a ten-foot pole, a new singing star with the elegance and the virile voice of a man has risen". 2005 update- John has added a new musical group to his list of favourites: Amici Forever. He is an avid fan of Nick Garrett, founding member of the group. John's new favourite musical group: Il Divo. Movies:When it comes to movie stars he favours Hollywood legends like Spencer Tracy, Humphrey Bogart and Cary Grant. Errol Flynn was the role model of his early youth. Presently, actors Annette Bening and Russell Crowe are at the top of his list. Other favorites are Peter O'toole and Brian Blessed (UK), Jean Reno (France), Pedro Infante (Mexico), Shintaro Katsu (Japan), Chow Yun-Fat and Jackie Chan (Hong Kong). Favourite movie directors are Akira Kurosawa, Alfred Hitchcock, Steven Spielberg, John Woo, Takeshi Kitano, Jean Renoir, Ridley Scott and Orson Welles. Favourite movies: Excalibur by John Boorman, Valmont by Milos Forman and Lawrence of Arabia by David Lean. The Elephant Man always makes him cry. Books:He particularly enjoys reading anything by Colleen McCullough, Mary Doria Russell, Elizabeth Peters, Robert Ludlum, and Alexander Dumas. Autobiographies are his favourite bedtime reading. The only audio-book he has listened to five times is: Dave Barry does Japan (it never fails to make him laugh). Most boring books to read: almost anything on art criticism (take a Valium an hour before reading). His favourite play: Life is a Dream, by Pedro Calderón de la Barca. Second favourite play: Cyrano de Bergerac, by Edmond Rostand. His personal theme song is (though, he won't admit to it): Nobody does it better, from one of the James Bond movies.Television:He watches Peter Jennings -religiously. His other television fare consist of programs on Public television (PBS), The View, Classic Star Trek, and a weekly diet of Batman-Superman animated series, Nash Bridges, Friends, Just Shoot Me, That 70's Show and Will and Grace. Since he works during most of the show times, he tapes the programs for later viewing. Late night choices will depend on who will be the guest appearing on Jay Leno, David Letterman, Ted Koppel, or Politically Incorrect. Most asked TV related question: Are you related to Geraldo Rivera? 2005 update- Like millions of viewers worldwide, John was deeply saddened by the untimely death of Mr. Peter Jennings. When asked what his fascination with Peter was, John replied: -"I learned English watching Peter Jennings, he was my daily language lesson, and in time, it felt that he was one of the family. I used to watch him together with my newborn daughter, Selina, and we continued this family ritual until she left for college. She send me a thoughtful message as soon as she heard of Peter's passing. There will never be another like him; we will miss him terribly." Likes and Dislikes:Three things John avoids are weddings, hospitals and funerals. He has already attended too many. Least favorite things: rap (music?), attraction park rides (motion sickness), sailing (he can't swim), flavoured coffees (he likes coffee to taste like coffee), and a room full of kids. Favourite food: Caribbean cuisine (but he eats anything except for hot-spicy foods). Favourite colour: Yellow. Taste in women: intelligent ones. His definition of Viagra: Puerto Rican hormones. Childhood crush: Sophia Loren -made him want to learn Italian (among other things). Later crush: Linda Carter. Present fantasy: Sophia Loren (you just can't improve on a classic). Impressions:First impressions of him seem always to be in the extreme; you either love him or hate him. Those he comes into contact through his work find him to be a fascinating person. His angular looks and confident manner make him stand out in any crowd. He can speak well about a myriad of subjects with his frankness of opinion that both delight and anguish his listeners. Acquaintances call him anything from a genius to a ruthless bastard - it depends on what side of the fence they stand. His friends call him a friend for life - dependable, caring and protective through times both good and bad. However, part of his mysterious appeal seems to emanate from certain inconsistencies about him which suggest secrets that few have been privy to. Words To Live By:Things that scare him: insects, water deeper than four feet, people who have no business owning a firearm, and marriage. He has an aversion for pessimistic attitudes, any form of fanaticism, and people's lack of taste. He also hates his looks but learned to compensate for his deficiencies. His most treasured words of wisdom are, from his father: "if your boss tells you to lift a building, don't say you can't. Go grab it by a corner and try your best to do it."; From his mother: "no one is so poor as not to have water to bathe and wash their clothes, or thread and needle to mend them."; From a country preacher: "kiss and hug your children everyday as if it were the last time you would see them". 2006 update- In the fall of 2004 John had an automobile accident while left him with a daily legacy of chronic pain. He is suffering from arthritis of the spine on his lower back and damage cartilage on his right knee. At the time of the accident, a statement was issued to the fact that John was very much alive, and not killed as many believed. 2008 update- In 2008 had begun with much uncertainty. While 2007 was a busy year (read 'current work -2007' in the 'Current works' page for further details), John is at a crossroad in his life. Age is a factor -he will turn 50 this year; disillusionment is another. Coming to terms with the fact that one cannot maintain the level of physical engagement that defined his former lifestyle has not been an easy adjustment. Recognizing that he may not be able to achieve some of the goals he set for himself during the previous years is a troubling prospect. "I feel time is passing me by and I have accomplished nothing" -is he current gripe. |
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