About Roberto Ortiz
From Bayous to Beaches: A Surreal Journey in Art
Roberto Ortiz is a New Orleans born artist currently living in Rincon, Puerto Rico. In high school Roberto was the only student allowed to paint in oils. Inspired by the work of Salvador Dali, he began to explore surrealism in his own style. Many of his Louisiana landscapes were inspired by the local swamps and bayous which he loved to explore.
After attending college in New Orleans, he moved to New York City where his painting style became darker and more mysterious. After living in New York for ten years he moved to his parents’ home in Rincon, Puerto Rico. He opened the first art gallery (Secret Garden) in Rincon. Inspired by the abundant flora of Puerto Rico, his style concentrated on tropical plants, landscapes, and seascapes.
He returned to New Orleans after four years in Rincon and was represented by the Jonathan Ferrara Gallery. His style was now a combination of natural environments and surrealism. After suffering a subdural hematoma, he went back to Rincon to recover.
Years later during the COVID lockdown he began carving whales and various sculptures from driftwood. To this day he continuous painting and carving on his beachfront property in Rincon. 2026 will be fifty years since he began is artistic journey.
“Reality leaves a lot to the imagination.”
John Lennon
Roberto Ortiz is a New Orleans born artist currently living in Rincon, Puerto Rico. In high school Roberto was the only student allowed to paint in oils. Inspired by the work of Salvador Dali, he began to explore surrealism in his own style. Many of his Louisiana landscapes were inspired by the local swamps and bayous which he loved to explore.
After attending college in New Orleans, he moved to New York City where his painting style became darker and more mysterious. After living in New York for ten years he moved to his parents’ home in Rincon, Puerto Rico. He opened the first art gallery (Secret Garden) in Rincon. Inspired by the abundant flora of Puerto Rico, his style concentrated on tropical plants, landscapes, and seascapes.
He returned to New Orleans after four years in Rincon and was represented by the Jonathan Ferrara Gallery. His style was now a combination of natural environments and surrealism. After suffering a subdural hematoma, he went back to Rincon to recover.
Years later during the COVID lockdown he began carving whales and various sculptures from driftwood. To this day he continuous painting and carving on his beachfront property in Rincon. 2026 will be fifty years since he began is artistic journey.
“Perfection is achieved, not when there is nothing more to add, but when there is nothing left to take away.”
The Vision
“The true painter must be able, with the most usual things, to have the most unusual ideas. ”
Salvador Dali
Artist Statement
Roberto Ortiz’s work explores the intersection of surrealism and the natural world. Inspired by the Louisiana bayous of his youth and the tropical landscapes of Puerto Rico, his paintings and sculptures transform familiar environments into dreamlike realms. Through oil on canvas and driftwood carvings, Ortiz creates art that reflects beauty, resilience, and the mystery of nature reimagined.
The Work Space
Drawing from the land
During the COVID lockdown, living so close to the living and breathing Carribean ocean… Roberto began to carve whales and various sculptures from driftwood. To this day he continues to paint and carve on his beachfront property in Rincon. 2026 will be fifty years since he began his artistic journey.
Our Mission
Mission & values
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Our History
Trajectory
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