Artist's Statement

I have been sculpting since a child, beginning with objects I found on the street and modified, and progressing to more traditional media such as clay, Styrofoam, wood, cement, plaster. As I developed my artistic technique and style through school and practice, I never lost my original love of diverse materials and continue to mix, not only materials, but positive and negative sculpting in my work.

I prefer to make figurative art, whether it be human or animal. Generally, my sculpting begins with a figurative base and ends with a surrealist touch that connects reality with fantasy in social, political, philosophic or cultural themes.

Artist's Bio

Walter Castro is a painter/sculptor from Argentina. He received a degree in fine art from the National School of Fine Art in Buenos Aires. In 1999 he met an American girl who was studying in Argentina and in 2002 he moved to the United States to marry her.

In the United States, Walter has held a variety of jobs that put his fine art skills to good work, from exhibit fabricator for the Smithsonian Institute in Washington, DC, to master sculptor for the City of Austin’s annual Trail of Lights.

Since finishing art school in Argentina, Walter has most often put his sculpting skills to work doing large-scale commercial art in Styrofoam. However, in 2006 Walter returned to his favorite medium, clay, and is currently working on a series of emotive busts. The first of the series, “Learning a New Language” will be exhibited at the TSOS Sculpfest in September, 2007.

Artist's Resume

WALTER CASTRO
4302 Avenue G, Apt. A
Austin, TX
512-420-2251
wboquita@yahoo.com.ar

EMPLOYMENT HISTORY-
United States:

Castro Crafts
Austin, TX

The Trail of Lights
City of Austin
Austin, TX

Smithsonian Institute
Washington, D.C.

Owner and artist, hand made gifts and artwork
Since October 2004

Master Sculptor, Production Technician
Designer, carpenter and artist for two and three-dimensional displays depicting Christmas and cartoon scenes and figures (September 2004-present)

Office of Exhibits Central Exhibit
Fabrication Assistant
Provided support for carpentry, painting and modeling departments (January-May 2004)

INDEPENDENT CONTRACT-Austin, TX

Maria’s Taco Express
Designed and fabricated exterior façade and interior decoration for new restaurant, including murals and sculpture relief (February-july, 2006)

Quality Seafood
Restoration of fiberglass prize fish displays (October 2005)

Oil Storm
Designed and fabricated graveyard set for made-for-TV documentary (February 2005)

Full-finishing
Interior and exterior texturing, painting, staining and patinas (at present)

Commercial art
Large-scale Styrofoam sculpture and murals for shopping malls and businesses (at present)

EDUCATION
1985-1993 Escuela Nacional de Bellas Artes-Manuel Belgrano
(Manuel Belgrano National School of Fine Arts): Buenos Aires, Argentina
Degree: Maestría Nacional de Dibujo (equivalent to an associate’s degree in fine arts and a teaching license)

ARTISTIC SKILLS
• Experience with acrylics, watercolors, pastels and oil-based painting, pencil and charcoal sketches and caricatures.
• Experience with large and small scale sculpture, specializing in wax, clay and Styrofoam.
• Experience with model making, including plaster and silicon molds and multi-sectional molds.
• Some experience with project design and presentation
• Some experience with use of airbrush

Carpentry Skills
• Experience with hand and power tools
• Familiar with specialty refinishing techniques including high gloss lacquer, and plastic and metal surface refinishing
• Experience with artisan woodworking
• Some experience with furniture and antique restoration

Contact Artist

4302 Avenue G, Apt. A
Austin, TX
512-420-2251
wboquita at yahoo.com.ar