Three Cheers for Ice Cream Dreams and Paint Brushes

As an artist, the creation process can be a struggle – as any of you who may have used paint brushes at a Painting with a Twist will fully understand. A rollercoaster of emotions that go into creating art. They range from totally excited, to totally defeated – over and over again. Sometimes, these emotions are so intense, it’s hard to remember to slow down, chill out, and just enjoy the process.

Portuguese artist José Lourenço encapsulates that concept by making the process his art. Even I forget to look at my brush that holds the same paint that will enchant me once it’s on the canvas. I’m looking at it now though… very closely.

Lourenço’s on going series is called “Ice Cream” and it is evident why. The color combos are spot on and light up my brain as I browse over each image. Take one glance over at his Instagram Account and you’ll be in awe of his creative techniques for applying the color. These brushes are gravely inspiring.

It’s hard to look away at the gooey rainbow mounds that resemble melting gobstoppers.  DesignBoom describes his work as “vibrant array of pigments and paints to create subtly swirling color compositions. the vibrant daubs are then heavily dipped onto paint brushes and photographed against both natural and colorful backdrops. the resulting forms look good enough to eat. ice cream-like shapes seemingly ooze strawberry swirls, orange essence, and a punch of pineapple, when these pictures are actually just paint heightening our hunger…” I’m enchanted by these colorful globs of creamy paint and even tried recreating a few at home during a little paint sesh.

José Lourenço Bio

Painter, draftsman, and graphic artist.

José Toledo Piza Lourenço Júnior studied drawing with Nelson Nóbrega at the Armando Álvares Penteado Foundation, Faap, São Paulo, between 1962 and 1965. In that same year, he traveled to Bahia, where he executed the series of Lavadeiras drawings. Between 1965 and 1967, he worked as a writer for Editora Abril in the publications Realidade e Conhecer. In 1987, he was chosen the best painter of the year by students of the Chapel School, in São Paulo.