About Me

and My Art

I paint from life! My art is based on direct observation and meditation through the interaction of space, light, and form. I paint the figure, still life, landscape, and abstract.

My influences I have studied with modern impressionists, modern figurative sculptors, and classical realists. I primarily studied with Auseklis Ozols, the director and founder of the New Orleans Academy of Fine Arts and master realist painter. Others include: Georgia O’Keefe, known for her unique style and depictions of simple objects, primarily the flower; Salvadore Dali, renowned for his surrealism and creativity; and Claudio Bravo, who can turn a simple object such as paper bag or string into a masterpiece – have all been inspirations throughout my career.

Education & Training I began my training at the University of New Orleans majoring in Fine Arts. There I mastered basic principles and art theories. Following UNO, I attended the New Orleans Academy of Fine Arts where for five years, I studied all artistic disciplines including figure drawing, figure painting, portraiture, still life, landscape, design, sculpting, and abstract.

Galleries. I have shown at numerous galleries including the Garden District Gallery, The New Orleans Academy of Fine Arts, NOMA, The New Orleans World Trade Center, as well as many other private venues. Private collections of my works are now housed across the US, and internationally in several countries including Norway, London, and Honduras.

MY INSPIRATION. People often ask me: Why paint oyster shells: Living in New Orleans, it began with the BP Oil Spill. More and more attention was given on the Gulf and the dangers our seafood industry was to face. I used oil from the actual spill and created my first oyster painting. Rooting through the shells, I noticed every shell is like a fingerprint – – totally unique. Each painting makes me think something new and every painting becomes its own.

Selected Exhibitions

Art Against Aids – Featured Artist 2017
Atlelier Newport Gallery – Newport, Rhode Island

“Crosswinds” – August 2017
“Houseguests” – May 2017
“Il’mare” – September 2016
“What Lies Beneath” – July 2016
“Inaugural Exhibition” – July 2016
“May–June Exhibition” – May – June 2016
“Soft Opening” – April 2016

Eisenhauer Gallery Exhibitions – Martha’s Vineyard, MA

“Shades of Black, White, and Grey” – July 2015

Gallery Orange Exhibitions– New Orleans, LA

“Southern Decadence” – September 2011
“Oils of the South” – April 2010
“Southern Delights” – November 2013
“Poetry and Landscapes” – April 2015

Garden District Gallery Exhibitions – New Orleans, LA

“Glorious Foods” – December 2009
“Fairytales” – April 2010
“Treasures of the Gulf” – August 2010

New Orleans Academy of Fine Arts Exhibition

2007 through 2009

Carlos Lopez Art Southern Angel
40x30 Oil on Canvas | Inquire at Atelier Newport located in Newport, Rhode Island
carlos lopez art - The Nesters

Magazines/Publications

Art and Design – 2016/2017
Where New Orleans Magazine

Featured in:
“20 Things I Love about New Orleans” – 2013
“Oyster Art” – Cover Page – 2014
“Crescent City Oyster Collectibles” – 2014

Artsy Forager Online Magazine/Blog

Finding the Pearl” – 2013
“Featured July Artist” – 2014

Gambit Magazine – 2013
Nola.com

“Dirty Linen Night” – 2013
“Cool Stuff – When the world is your Oyster” – 2016

St. Charles Magazine – 2013, 2014

Silent Auctions

“HNO New Orleans” – Featured Artist – New Orleans, Louisiana
  • 2016
“Human Rights Campaign – Featured Artist – New Orleans, Louisiana
  • 2017
“Art in Bloom” – Featured Artist – New Orleans Museum of Modern Art
  • 2009
  • 2010
“Friday Night Before Mardi Gras” – Featured Artist – Audubon Tea Room, New Orleans
  • 2011
  • 2012
“Art Against Aids” – Featured Artist – New Orleans Museum of Modern Art
  • 2012
  • 2013
  • 2014
  • 2015
“March of Dimes Spotlight on Success” – Featured Artist – Generations Hall, New Orleans
  • 2014
  • 2016
carlos lopez art - mardi gras mistletoe