Nestor Toro - Abstract Painter - Los Angeles
American artist Nestor Toro (b. 1976) is a professional independent abstract painter. Nestor’s internationally collected abstract art is found in private collections on 5 continents and in over 30 countries. The value of Nestor’s art doubled in the past year, making him one of the most sought after contemporary abstract expressionist artists.
As a young man Nestor’s interest in art was fueled by hours spent the museum of fine art in nearby Ponce, Puerto Rico. Growing up in such a lush tropical environment surrounded Nestor in COLOR – endless shades of green…colorful tropical orchids blooming year round and of course the beautiful ocean!
This love of nature would fuel his unique expressive gestural painting style (often compared to Pollock’s painting with the canvas on the studio floor) as well as his unique voice via his BOLD color palette using unexpected choices that organically combine giving the viewer an emotional connection often with memories.
Nestor’s desire to experience the world would be the most influence on him and his art. Nestor was always drawn to travel. He wanted to explore the world and its vastness and to experience adventures he knew existed off of the small tropical island he called home. He left the island to attend college at 18 on the mainland to pursue his love of travel and was educated and worked in the travel industry. His work allowed him the opportunity to do extensive world travel visiting over 20 countries and further exposing him to other cultures giving him a world view most do not have.
He has lived in Miami, Los Angeles, and has spent extended periods of time living out of the United States having lived for 1 year in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil and most recently for six years (2006 – 2012) in Buenos Aires, Argentina. It was during his time living in Buenos Aires that his creative inspiration was fully ignited as he was fueled by the vibrant and rich culture juxtaposed with the extremes of wealth and manic chaos with abject poverty which coexist side by side. It was in this unique situation that his first paintings were created and evolved.
“I was always interested in art but something about this amazing city in South America really set me on this path of painting. I truly feel that travelling and leaving our comfort zones allows us to discover what our true passions are.” He continues, “Only then can we reach our potential and living in Buenos Aires changed me and challenged me to push myself in unexpected ways”!
He is also fascinated by the blending of colors and the fluidity and visual pleasure that come with observing the almost organic and natural flow of patterns. He recalls traveling deep inside Brazil and up the Amazon river to “Encontro das Aguas” which translates to “meeting of the waters”. This is an amazing natural phenomenon where the clear water of the river meets with the darker mineral laden water. For miles they flow side by side creating intricate patterns while slowly mixing in a fascinating ever changing liquid dance of intricate patterns.
He is also influenced by aquariums. He is fascinated with the harmonious flow and undulation of the tropical plants as they move with the current in the underwater world. This acts as a backdrop for the rich vibrant color of exotic tropical fish as they move in unison with coordinated fluid motion in schools, very reminiscent of the intricate almost organic fractal like patterns of the artworks that he creates with his gestural painting style.
Nestor’s paintings are abstract expressionistic in style which leave the viewer free to experience the artwork through the color combinations, brush strokes, and other special techniques. Nestor’s artwork is intended to be a visual experience which evoke a feeling of transport from the viewer. Just as his world travels have taken him physically to exotic foreign locations which changed his perceptions, his artwork is intended to transport the viewer emotionally to another place for a similar experience that is different and unique for each viewer.
He is self-taught and works primarily with liquid acrylics, watercolors, and various inks in addition to many other mediums to create intricate works that lure the viewer in with the complexities of the color and pattern. His painting are typically comprised of multiple layers of liquid acrylic which are combined using various techniques to create each unique painting.
Each work will go through multiple incarnations as it evolves with layers upon layers added and combined in increasing complexity. These patterns are similar to what he witnessed at the “meeting of the waters” deep in the Amazon. He has an innate eye for color combinations that seems to come directly from his subconscious mind, and gives each painting its own unique personality and presence with such visual depth that it must be experienced by the viewer.
Nestor’s art has been exhibited numerous times in Buenos Aires at various venues and exhibitions during the six years he was living there (2006 – 2012) where he sold many pieces to private collectors in Buenos Aires where his Gerhard Richter and Jackson Pollock inspired works were first conceived and evolved.
Now back in Los Angeles, Nestor’s unique abstract expressionistic artwork is being added to more and more contemporary fine art collections. His paintings are in private collections on 5 continents and countries including the USA, Italy, Japan, Hong Kong, India, Canada, Argentina, Great Britain, Singapore, Spain, Ireland, Belgium, Australia, and France.
Abstract artist Nestor lives and works (take a peek inside the studio) in West Hollywood, California with his partner Lee and their chihuahuas Ginger and Dolly.