Artist Joan Colomer Valls

Joan Colomer was raised amid the rich artistic heritage of his family and the inspirational landscape tradition immediately surrounding him.

Born in San Feliu De Pallerols, near Olol in the Catalonia region of Spain, in 1965, Colomer was intimately shaped by the pastoral countryside of deep forests and rolling hills that lent its name to the Olotina Landscape School, founded by painter Joaquim Vayreda over one hundred and twenty five years ago. Colomer learned to paint at a young age, alongside of his two brothers, under the tutelage of his father, also an artist.

Colomer painted steadily, mastering complicated techniques quickly, interrupting his rapid progress only to attend university in Barcelona. After receiving his degree in philosophy and liberal arts, Colomer based himself in Madrid and traveled extensively to study the styles of master painters while developing his own extraordinary talents.

For Colomer, painting is primal. "I live to paint," he says. This consistent and driving force in his life led him to constantly self-analyze. "If I paint a landscape, it is because it has brought to my mind some remembrances and associations that I have to express urgently. I never know which way the painting will go while I'm working because sometimes the painting comes to life and develops its own destiny."

To Colomer, the sky sets the tone and intensity of the work. It is the most important part of his piece. "Slowly, one color calls another; it's nearly a question of obedience. I can't force the harmonies. They just flow from my hand."

When asked who his artistic heroes are, Colomer eloquently replies, "I'd like to have Beruete's touch, Sorolla's light, Hopper's balance, Corot's gracefulness, Daubighny's vision, Monet's color, Vermeer's mystery, Mauve's atmosphere, and Velazquez's knowledge.

"The roots of my artistic expression are both deeply cerebral and emotional. I realized this one morning, looking at my father, who was about to start a new work. He stood there, looking at a blank canvas for a long time. I tried to feel what was happening in those moments, an impulse, and urgent necessity of self-expression. Having everything ready, his hand started to form. At that time I realized that Leonardo was right: painting is a mental act.