The physical act of painting, the smell of paints and linseed oil, the intrinsic qualities of each brush and palette knife and the intimidating blank canvas, all of this is what makes painting so special to me. It's a very personal and intimate act where I question each element, in the end becoming a conversation between the canvas, brushes, and paints. Emotion is my ultimate destination; I search my thoughts, memories, aspirations, and use them as a starting point, quickly sketching and moving onto the canvas. Five years ago I first started by sketching and mapping out every color before moving on to the canvas, leaving little to chance. In this body of work I try to solve my problems on the canvas, creating an environment for exploration and the subtle mistake that every now and then can make a painting complete.
-Pedro Saldarriaga


Exhibitions
12/2008-01-2009
"Solo Show", Optique of Denver. Denver, CO
12/2008
"Bad Santa, no cookie",group show, Access Gallery. Denver, CO
09/2008
"Peobirds", Stone Heart Gallery. Evergreen, CO
07/2008
"Stewards of the Land", 4 man show. Denver, CO
04/2008-01/2009
Juried Show, “See the New West Like a Local” Denver International Airport, Denver, CO
02/2008
ARTMA, Selected work for live auction, benefit for pediatric neuro-oncology, Denver, CO
01/2008
Group Show, Blue Bistro, Evergreen CO
09-10/2007
Solo Show, Vain Salon, Denver, CO
07/2007
Group Show, Stone Heart Gallery, Evergreen CO
03/2006
Solo Show, “Mi Diario” The Blue Space, Denver, CO
02/2006
ARTMA, Art auction benefit for pediatric neuro-oncology, Denver, CO
08/2005
Group Show, Hispan Art, Denver, CO
05/2005
Group Show, Hispan Art, Denver, CO
12/2001
Solo Show, “España” El Tesoro, Medellín Colombia

Commissions & collections
2007
“Cada cual en su corral”, Herb & Jean Martini,
Denver, CO
2007
“La Fuga”, “Domestique” Uno Bicycle Studio,
Littleton, CO
2006
“El Pastor”, Bries Residence, Denver, CO

My first approach at art came at the age of five when my mother enrolled me in a ceramic class. All I remember from those Thursday evening classes was that I loved sculpting big breasted women, I guess I wanted to be like Botero, and enjoyed the taste of the teacher's cookies.
As time passed, my interest shifted towards drawing. At school, I spent more time sketching than listening to the class lectures. The only formal education in drawing, prior to college, came during my senior year in High School when I took a figure drawing class with live models.
After graduating from High School I left my home in Medellín, Colombia to attend Midwestern State University in Texas. Right after receiving my Bachelor of Arts I joined an amateur cycling team in Barcelona, Spain. For two years I raced around Spain using my spare time to sketch and to find myself as an artist. It was during these times of loneliness when my style came to life.
Most of the imagery used in my work comes from personal experience and emotions. Great emphasis is given to composition, giving the images a graceful balance where color and the use of line define the style. Simplicity and balance are the pillars my work.