From science to watercolor: Ernesto Gomez featured at Redlands Art Association

For Ernesto Gomez, "artist" was never a title he dreamed of. For decades, his creativity found a home through his career a physicist and astronomy professor.

“You are creatively addressing how to solve a scientific problem,” Gomez said.

Beginning June 7, visitors to the Redlands Art Association can enjoy what it means to go from scientist to artist. Gomez is the featured artist this month, presenting a new show of expressive watercolor paintings and small ceramic pieces.

For decades, Ernesto Gomez worked as a physics and astronomy professor, including teaching in Puerto Rico. His doctorate in computer science brought him to Cal State San Bernardino 20 years ago. He and his wife moved to Mentone in 2013. That was also the year his wife gifted him a painting class certificate for his birthday.

“I didn’t know I could do any of that stuff,” he said and was happily surprised. Still to this day he enjoys taking classes and learning new techniques. He retired three years ago to which he commented, “Now I have more time for goofing off and art.”

Around the same time, a friend from NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) in Pasadena invited him to join a workshop that brought together scientists and artists.

In the beginning, he always tried to be true to whatever scene he was painting. He would do one painting close to reality, “In the second one, I would become looser,” he said. Though lately, he jumps right to the loose, painting from memory and imagination. “Even if it is reality, it’s filtered through my memories,” he said.

“If I take too much time on something, I tend to second guess myself and I have found the curse of the final stroke,” Gomez said. “Usually what happens is [I think] it will be perfect with this last stroke and then I spend the next four hours fixing it.” He added, “When you think it’s almost done, it’s done.”

Gomez was born in Cuba and moved to Puerto Rico when Fidel Castro came to power. His dad taught him to sail before he was 10 and he used to race a 14-foot Laser sailboat when he lived in Puerto Rico. That might be the explanation for why he loves to paint the ocean.

Another recurring image is cities, for example painting neighborhoods in New York where his daughter and two grandkids live. Inspiration also comes from Greek mythology, space and Japanese haiku. A haiku depicts a moment in the present, it’s quick just like Gomez’ sense of going fast and loose.

“One of the sayings I follow is, doing watercolor is like having cats, they are not going to do exactly what you want but you can kind of lead them in the direction,” he said.

He also likes to experiment with ceramics and abstracts. “In order for me to paint abstracts that I like, it has to mean something to me, I have to see something in it,” he said, mentioning that it feels harder.

A love of color finds its way into his paintings in an intuitive way, whatever feels right in the moment. “[Watercolor] has opened areas of my mind that I didn’t even know were there,” he said. “Now my imagination is broader and it makes me happy.”

Most of the paintings in the show are new and original artwork from the past two to three years. Prints and printed tea towels will also be available.

His biggest joy, Gomez said, is when he hears people enjoying his paintings.

Gomez was the featured artist at Redlands Art Association in 2019. His artwork has been accepted into juried shows such as Art for Heaven’s Sake in Redlands, as well as the Multi Media Mini Show at the gallery where he’s won an award.

You can meet Ernesto Gomez at the open house event on Saturday, June 21 from 1 to 4 p.m.

Paintings by Gomez can be found on Instagram: @ernestogomez3990

 About the Redlands Art Association
Address: 215 E State St, Redlands CA 92373.
RAA website: redlands-art.org
RAA social media:  facebook.com/RedlandsArtAssociation and @redlandsartassociation on Instagram.
Opening hours: 11 a.m. to 5 p.m., Sundays closed.

Featured artist show by artist Ernesto Gomez runs from June 7 to July 4. An open house event is planned for Saturday, June 21 from 1 to 4 p.m.