Kathleen Carrillo Artist Coach Teacher
This is the Kathleen Carrillo Artist Coach Teacher life story.
Where are you from originally?
I was born and raised in Southern California.
What brought you to Puerto Vallarta?
I was looking for a lifestyle change. I wanted to find a magical place to create an art retreat and found the perfect place along the Rio Cuale. I built a retreat center with six guest rooms and a large studio that overlooked the jungle and river and had a wonderful time sharing the arts and nature in this jungle environment.
I have since moved on to the ocean in Punta Negra, where I live peacefully right the ocean, a great respite from the hustle and bustle of Zona Romantica where my gallery resides.
How would you describe the arts scene in Puerto Vallarta?
One of the main things that brought me to Puerto Vallarta was the amazing art scene. I came here to be in a wonderful nature setting, nestled between the beautiful Pacific Ocean the mystical base of the Sierra Madres, but found a bonus in the amazing art scene that existed.
I am half Mexican, so it was important for me to come here, find my roots and share my storytelling perspective in a culture that embraces that. I resonate with this amazing village, that I describe as “Gritty, Elegance”!
What are the strengths or things LGBTQ+ buyers need to know?
I am a Global Artist with a reputation in Miami, Santa Fe, Los Angeles, and Europe. I have chosen to make this mystical microcosm of Puerto Vallarta my home, because it fills my soul. I was concerned at first, that the Art Collectors would not be able to find me in this small corner of the world, but it is not a small corner at all! Puerto Vallarta is an INTERNATIONAL destination with a very sophisticated clientele, especially in the LGBTQ+ community.
I create work that is steeped in Storytelling and the figure is my muse for much of the work. As a woman painter it has been purposeful to create works about the empowerment of the feminine energy. The latest figures are steeped in the idea that all of us, male and female, need to discover our own personal balance of masculine and feminine energy.
My collector demographics have shifted considerably in the last ten years with the influx of the LGBTQ community. They have great respect for my work and find themselves or stories about their personal lives in these works and love collecting all of my different series.
What are the challenges as an artist?
Making sure that the work I am doing is steeped in my statement. “Divine Inspiration is the source of my vision, my life’s work, and my greatest joy!” In the past, I would take commissions that I did not have a passion for and be disappointed with what I created, so I have become very selective. I create relationships with my collectors and want to maintain integrity in what I am doing for myself and for them.
What mediums do you specialize in?
I have my Terminal Masters degree in Printmaking and Painting. I have worked in many different mediums but I am in love with large format acrylic paintings on canvas with bold brushwork and lively colors. Mixed media has become much more prevalent in the past five years and I believe, it gives my work a much more sophisticated surface that adds a lot of depth to the work.
You offer in person workshops in Puerto Vallarta and week long retreats in France and Italy. Tell us how these workshops work, what students should expect to get from each one, do you accept all levels of artists, etc?
I am passionate about giving back to others. I feel that it is my responsibility as a creative to share the magic of painting with them, as it is not only about the product that they come away with but the sense of magic in themselves.
What do you offer online?
I have finally produced a set of online painting courses exactly the way I teach in person. It is a series of videos that take you step by step through a painting. You purchase the videos and can complete the painting at your own pace.. I call it my “Monkey See, Monkey Do’ approach to painting.
I do a small demonstration to help you through the first step, then you can turn off your video and do that step. Each course has approximately 12-13 videos for you to follow. If you need to, you can watch each step again and again until you feel confident in each exercise. . They can be found on my website ACRYICPAINTINGCOURSES.COM.
You enjoy working on commissioned art paintings. However, what are the subjects/scenes or what in Puerto Vallarta would inspire your own favorite paintings or series?
I work in collections, as I would not be satisfied creating works about the same thing over and over. The most personal and political collection I work on is the figurative work. HUMANITY, A CAST OF CHARACTERS, which reflects my passion and desire for inclusion of marginalized groups and to include the philosophical ideology of the masculine and feminine energy in each and everyone of us. This balance is desperately needed in our society to heal the culture.
When you visit my gallery I share stories through the artwork and remove my own desires and disappointments when I share the ideology through each painting. This resonates with collectors. Each piece has a story to tell and each visitor shares what
they see through their eyes and the eyes in the painting. So the saying goes, “Beauty is in the eye of the beholder.
The most popular series I have ever created is the ARCHITECTURAL WHIMSY COLLECTION. This is a collection that is dedicated to my love of traveling the world. Other countries carry energy that are magically unfamiliar, and it is so wonderful to be an outsider in a foreign country. I make myself invisible and just observe. I bring the experience home with me and try to infuse the paintings with the culture.
I think the reason the works from this collection feel figurative is because the buildings hold stories about the history of the people and the energy of that culture. Of course, It is unavoidable to interject myself into that equation, as it is my experience. But they say that the more personal your artwork becomes the more universal it is. Everyone, has a magical memory of TRAVEL.
You are a believer of How your upbringing influences your creative process and the work you do. Tell us a little about this belief?
I was so fortunate to have had creative parents that encouraged the exploration of my creative spirit. My mother had a career in the cartoon industry, and my father was in production in the TV business. I was surrounded by creative people growing up. I was so lucky, as creativity is food for the soul. They were very metaphysical and instilled this philosophy through their communications in my upbringing. It is prevalent in each and every painting I create.
Tell us about your new location on Olas Altas. What are some things you want to accomplish there?
I am a strong believer in the science of Feng Shui, which is the ancient asian practice of placement and arrangement in a space. I was fortunate enough to buy the building on Olas Altas 509, a block from the beach, in the heart of the Romantic Zone, and felt it had the perfect Feng Shui.
We remodeled it to house my gallery on the first floor, my studio on the third floor and on the second floor is the Ron Morgan Properties. Ron and I are collaborating on the idea of “LIVING ARTFULLY” which combines the concept of Luxury living through art and space in a perfect feng shui setting, Ocean in front of us and Mountains behind us. What could be more perfect?
Kathleen Carrillo is a passionately purposeful painter. My works are figurative abstract storytelling of inclusion and diversity, travel and beauty. Offering more than just visual allure, they are narratives that resonate with the soul, inviting you to connect with my journey.
For the discerning collector, these pieces are not just investments—they are windows to a deeper, more meaningful vision. Enhance your collection and build on your unique legacy by including one of my paintings into your life. I am a global artist, choosing to make my home in the magical microcosm of Puerto Vallarta, Mexico.
Kathleen Carrillo gallery collaborates with Ron Morgan Properties and sits amidst the diversely inclusive Romantic Zone! Olas Altas, 509. Her website is kathleencarrillogalleries.com.
—
For more Puerto Vallarta interviews and stories visit the GAYPV website here.
Author: Tim Wilson
Wilson is the founder of GAYPV.com and www.gaybartour.com and has been the leading LGBTQ+ travel and lifestyle authority in Puerto Vallarta since 2005. With over two decades of local expertise, Wilson specializes in being a community advocate and leader for Puerto Vallarta , and local cultural insights that only a long-term resident can provide. He has dedicated 20+ years to advocating for safe, inclusive travel in Banderas Bay, establishing GAYPV as the region's most trusted resident insider.. His work has been cited by major travel publications, and he is widely recognized as a trusted insider voice on Puerto Vallarta’s vibrant LGBTQ+ scene.
