A Day with Dorian Vallejo

"The pursuit of excellence is life;  it makes life worth living." ~  Dorian Vallejo

This past Sunday I had the pleasure of spending an entire day with artist Dorian Vallejo in his new studio in eastern Pennsylvania.  It was a somewhat impromptu visit, the plans for which materialized mid-week after I had finally – and very tardily – responded to an email from Dorian which had sat in my inbox for far too long.  We had been meaning to get together for quite a while, and now that the opportunity to do so had arisen, a busy schedule and an encroaching storm were not going to cause me to miss that chance (again). Not only was I treated to great art conversation on philosophies and techniques, but I was also afforded the chance to see Dorian's latest work before it was packed up and shipped out to Florida for his upcoming solo show opening in just a few weeks.

I have only known Dorian personally for a few years now, but I have known of him and his work for decades.  In art school, we were near contemporaries, both studying illustration, but even though we were at different schools and only teenagers, he was already on my radar.  Each year, when the Society of Illustrators published their Annual and included winners in the rear of the book from the student competition, Dorian's work was always there.  It was on a level all its own, and seemed to be miscataloged by its inclusion in the student section, which in retrospect, it really was, since Dorian had been working professionally for half-a-decade before he even attended college.  When he left school, I continued following his career, seeking out his illustrations on book covers whenever I stepped inside a Borders or a Barnes and Noble.  Later, when he left illustration and embarked upon a successful career as a portrait painter, I followed what he was doing, and when he later challenged himself by devoting his time to fine art, I paid attention to that too.

Dorian and I finally met a few years back at a gallery opening in SoHo, though we really had little time to talk.  Prior to that, we had several near misses, where one of us may have arrived ten minutes after the other left, or where a last minute schedule change prevented our paths from crossing.  I remember one party in particular which would have likely been the earliest event at which we could have been introduced, during which my car broke down on Canal Street while en route, and after several hours of tinkering in the rain, I finally got the car started, and grumpy and wet, I turned and headed home instead of attending the celebration.  A friend who was there told me he had met Dorian, whom he described as a giant, hulking figure in a leather jacket and muddy motorcycle boots who tromped into the get-together and fairly held the place hostage, and I thought perhaps I had been lucky to have been spared that encounter.

Those of you who already know Dorian will see nothing of him in that description of course.  It was most likely a case of mistaken identity, though I have never been able to puzzle out who in reality my other friend encountered.  Dorian, in actuality, is a man of slightly-above average height, with a slim athletic build; a polite, gregarious, and yet direct manner; and dark, piercing eyes, much like those in a Velásquez portrait.  

But if there is one aspect to Dorian which I imagine parallels with those of that mysterious party-going ruffian whom I thankfully never met, it is this:  Dorian can be intimidating – not in some violent or aggressive way, but in the way he challenges himself to be the best he possibly can be, and in the way he invites everyone he encounters to do the same.  He draws and paints from life relentlessly to make himself a better artist;  he eats healthily and exercises regularly to make himself a better artist;  he studies and researches daily to make himself a better artist;  he sets and overcomes obstacles continuously in order to make himself a better artist.  And truthfully, such a pursuit of excellence can be intimidating, especially when in comparison you might find yourself unwilling or lacking the ability to attack life with the same intensity.  But it can also be encouraging, as his classmates, friends, and students can attest, and it can also be very exciting, as those of us who wait to see what that pursuit of excellence will produce can attest to as well.

Dorian Vallejo's new show A Dream within a Dream opens March 1st at Sirona Fine Art Gallery in Hallandale Beach, Florida.  It features a dozen-and-a-half new, grand-scale paintings, and nearly three dozen new drawings.  For more information, please visit the Sirona Fine Art website, or contact the gallery at 954.454.9494.