Gabriel Portillo
Artist Gabriel Portillo, also known as "Paste," was born in Alpine, Texas. He currently resides and is based out of Austin, Texas. Growing up in Alpine, Gabriel had the opportunity to take art lessons as a child from a local artist, Charlie Bell. This is when his love for creating was sparked. Gabriel continued taking art classes in junior high and high school. After a couple years in college Gabriel decided to move to Austin to further his career in art.
Intrigued by the public and street art, his transition into becoming a muralist has become a big part of his focus. While his interest in murals has grown, his love for his studio practice has emerged within the past couple years. The overall act of creating is essential to Gabriel's being. Always evolving and constantly keeping an eye out for a new idea to spark, Gabriel continues to show enthusiasm for creating art.
I'm Gabriel Rene Portillo, otherwise known as Paste and I'm a muralist and a painter in Austin Texas. I'm from Alpine Texas, and I've been here for about seven years now. I like to create my way through my life and with my talents and the abilities that I was given which is putting my thoughts and my ideas onto a canvas or wall, so I use that to pretty much build my life and create my life through my work essentially.
Inspiration isn’t something I necessarily go in search of. I try to maintain a fluid lifestyle and let inspiration come to me per say. “Inspiration exists, but it must find you working”-Picasso. I firmly stand behind this quote. All that being said, inspiration has found me through family, friends, music, scenery, and readings. A lot of ideas flow from being in the studio and being present. I try to keep my everyday life open to new ideas. Whether that be a sunset, a shadow from a stop sign, the color of a flower. Whatever it may be I try to be with it and find ways to incorporate it into my work.
I have been working on a series of abstract expressionism. This style is focused around loose gestures and flow. Way different from my known style, I want to take a chance on a new style that I am drawn to naturally. I am a big fan of Lee Krasner, Wassily Kandinksy, and Willem de Koonig. So channeling my inner those artists.
In this new body of work, I step away from my signature Western style and explore a bold new direction through abstract expressionism in oil paint. This series marks a personal and artistic shift—an emotional, intuitive approach that prioritizes gesture, texture, and movement. It’s a raw, experimental departure that reflects growth, risk, and reinvention
My goals for art really haven’t changed. My personal goals for my wellness have and that has shaped my art in the right direction. My western pyschadelia style which I would say I’m more known for is very much as strong as ever right now. My imagery and color palettes have gotten stronger. I’m more open now and realized I don’t have to just paint one style. There are no rules and I am expressing that with this new body of work.
PAINT PAINT AND KEEP PAINTING!!!! Or whatever medium you use, do it over and over again. Repetition is key. You will find what works for you and what doesn’t. Be patient and trust in yourself.
The gratitude I have for my life and my abilities to maneuver paint and a brush around are not taken for granted. I give thanks every day for my life and I am so thrilled I get to push paint and share it with the world. It’s truly a gift! So thank you to Flaco aka Jerry for allowing me to push a new style and body of work in his space. One love.
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