Calvin Pressley

My name is Calvin J. Pressley, I primarily focus on oil painting as my main medium as well as; drawing and mixed media. I became more drawn towards mixed media and classical drawing methods while studying art at the University of Texas in San Antonio and San Antonio College. I obtained my Masters in Fine Art from the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts (PAFA) in Philadelphia, and currently I maintain my studio process in San Antonio, TX.

As an educator, I have assisted with classes at PAFA and led studio drawing classes in the foundations program at the University of North Texas in Denton. Additionally, I’ve taught figure drawing at the University of Central Oklahoma and intro to painting classes at the Oklahoma Contemporary Art Center in Oklahoma City.

My current body of work continues to build out of a strong relationship I have to Color as I work, Psychological color and figurative color as well as the physical color of the paint I use. When approaching the canvas, I typically start with large color fields to navigate the surface area of the canvas. This helps me learn my “playing field”, but also builds surface textures. I like to create paintings that a viewer can “feel with their eyes.” Narratives in my work develop through the life of the painting process and is often worked in elements from drawings. These narratives often reflect the dreams and waking life moments and experiences outside of the studio captured in a sketchbook.