Interview by Jimon

1-Where do you reside and work currently?  Fremont, California. It has a population that is larger than San Francisco, only its spread out over a vast region. It’s also made up of several districts, my favorite of which is Niles; with its rich history of being the location where Charlie Chaplin made some of his first silent films. Unfortunately, Fremont does not cater to Artists, so rather than rent a studio space near my home, I had a Tuff Shed barn built in my backyard that I insulated and finished.

2-How would you describe yourself?  Principled, Stubborn, Awkward, Introspective, Husband, Father of two.

3-Did you have any training for art or is it inherent?It’s Inherent in that I was largely self taught from the age of five until I reached High School. The catalyst was a starter art kit that my Aunt bought me for my fifth birthday. I had an excellent Art Teacher in High School named Terrence Baxter who taught me fundamentals and I had further schooling at St. Olaf College where I earned my BA in Studio Art. I learned a lot of what I know about materials from working at Art Supplies stores and later by maintaining a practice on the side even while working full time as an Art Director for games and animation.

4-Do you remember the first piece of art that you created?I can’t recall exactly, but it might have had something to do with the King Kong ride at Universal Studios. I was obsessed with depicting theme park attractions in crayon as a kid. I definitely remember asking my Father to sit for me for a portrait when I was six and the final result looking nothing like him.

5-Would you consider art being a lifestyle for you or otherwise?Art is a vocation for me and therefore, a way of life. It’s not just a “job” or a “career.” I made a decision to dedicate my life to making art regardless of whether or not it brought wealth or recognition.

6-Best advice you ever received in regards to your art?Nothing is precious, everything is practice. You have no control over how it will be received so do not get attached, just move on.

7-What influences you as an artist?Mundane everyday life observations, my surroundings and my family life.

8-How would you describe your art to an audience?My work and my process is largely about losing control and learning to live with the resulting uncertainty. While I feel that I have mastered my craft, no amount of planning can prepare me for the final outcome of a painting because at some point it becomes an autonomous thing. That’s part of the mystery of the process, and part of what keeps me coming back.

9-Is there any reality behind your work or is it purely from imagination?It’s a mix of both. I take cues from things I observe in the world. I quickly jot down places and moments in my sketchbook. However the final piece is more a distant recollection of those places and moments with other inventions thrown in. If I plan a composition, it is purely to get it into my “muscle memory.” Once I’m in the middle of a painting, everything is fair game and I often don’t know if that plan will survive or if it will morph into something completely unexpected.

10-Are you an optimist, pessimist or realist?Mostly a realist with some pessimistic tendencies. I’m balanced out by a partner who is a realist with optimistic tendencies.

11-Name an artist today which inspires you the most?  Frank Auerbach. I admire his work ethic and the fact that he’s still painting at 92.

12-What would you change about the art world?  What the Art World does is completely out of my control. I do my best to focus mostly on making work. I do believe however, that Art should be accessible to everyone and any “gatekeeping” that occurs between Art and the people works against its very purpose.

13-How do you describe success as an artist?In the past I’ve made a good living working as a designer for games and animation, but I’ve been happiest when doing my own work on my own terms even if it brings me no financial benefit.  To me, success means getting to a place within oneself and one’s work where one feels comfortable enough showing it but is also detached enough to move forward. That and having the will to show up and work regardless of inspiration.

14-What would you be doing if you were not an artist?Perhaps the biggest reason I would not be an artist is if my parents had been unable to leave Guatemala where it is a near impossibility to BE a (professional) artist, especially for a child born into a socioeconomically disadvantaged community. In that case I’d probably be picking and sowing Coffee Beans and Corn like my Father did starting at the age of 8. I would have started out as a child laborer and ended up who knows where.

15-How would you like to be seen as an artist years from now?I’d like to be remembered as someone who stuck to his principles, respected the creative process and painted what he wanted to see despite the popular movements of his time.

16-Do you have a place/person/thing that you visit for inspiration?Quarry Lakes, Coyote Hills, Mission Peak, my Mother and Father and my home with all its imperfections.

17-If you could have dinner with 3 artists living/dead who would be at your table?Frank Auerbach, Umetaro Azechi, and Richard Diebenkorn.

18-Name three things you can’t live without in your studio?  Paint, paper, and alone time.

19-If you were asking the questions what question would you ask and please follow up with an answer.  (19-1-What is the hardest thing to come to terms with about being an Artist?) The possibility that one may never see the fruits of one’s labor within one’s lifetime. However discouraging that possibility is, accepting it as a possibility can be liberating. If, despite this, one continues making art, then one has already come further along than most.

20-How would someone find you on social media?Instagram, glenn.hernandez_

21-Please name the first thing that comes to your mind while reading the following:

Art= Sustenance

Food= Pleasure

Sports= Indifference

Politics= Distraction

Poor= Worthy

God= Self

Rich= Vapid

Luxury= Illusion

Sex= Ecstasy

Picasso= History

Religion= Contradictory